subject: Fighting Securefighter On Solid Ground [print this page] Computers are for much more than entertainment, though that is an important facet too. But many people work, study, go to college, and communicate with friends, family, and clients with their computer. It is their source of news and information. For all these reasons, it is important to protect our computers. If you have noticed several issues, including pop-ups and slow performance, it could indicate that you have rogue antivirus program installed in your system. Programs like SecureFighter seek to convince users to buy their software, which is ultimately useless.
SecureFighter: A Rogue Antivirus Program
It is important to know what a rogue antivirus program is and what it is not. It is a rogue program that disseminates pop-up ads and false scan results in order to persuade you that you have security risks on your computer. It then attempts to convince you that their software is the only way to remove these threats. A rogue antivirus program is not a protective program, nor can it scan your computer. A rogue antivirus program is also not a virus, so it needs to be treated different with respect to removal.
Overall, these programs have one main goal in mind to get you to purchase the full version of the software. In pursuit of that goal, they can use some fairly intimidating tactics. Once you understand a bit about this particular program, though, and the many others like it, youll have a better platform to work from should you ever need to remove it from your machine.
SecureFighter is part of the large WiniSoft family, which has issued a host of other rogue antivirus programs, including TrustFighter, SecurityVeteran, Trust Cop, and SafeFighter. These programs are virtually identical, which is helpful for computer owners. If you can recognize one of these rogue programs, it will help you avoid them all.
Signs that SecureFighter Has Been Installed
Because SecureFighter can enter your system without your knowledge, you may be unaware of its presence for some time before anything appears out of the ordinary. When SecureFighter becomes active, it causes several noticeable changes. This program, like other rogue antivirus programs, is configured to start automatically whenever your computer is turned on. It will then run continuously the entire time your computer is on, which drains resources from your legitimate programs. Close all your programs and look at your CPU usage. If it high (sometimes as high as eighty percent), it is a good indication of a rogue program.
SecureFighter also tried to direct you to its website as much as possible, hoping that you will purchase the software. This is why you may notice that your homepage has been replaced or that when you try to navigate to different sites, you are instead diverted to those offering SecureFighter and asking for payment information. Rogue programs like this also install shortcuts on your desktop and/or icons in your system tray in order to direct you to their websites or to pop up yet more warning messages.
It is these pop-ups that will likely be most noticeable and a sure sign of a rogue antivirus program. You will find warnings like the following:
Spyware Alert!
Your computer is infected with spyware. It could damage your
critical files or expose your private data on the internet. Click
here to register your copy of SecureFighter and remove
spyware threats from your PC.
These are designed to look like those from legitimate antivirus programs, so be careful to read them carefully before clicking on them. Another tactic used by SecureFighter is the scan results window. When you boot up your machine, a scan will commence. As SecureFighter cannot really scan your computer, this isnt a true scan at all. But it does produce results, so does that mean you do have security problems?
A scan results window will show a list of files that it says are infected. These are real files, but they are harmless. They have been created by SecureFighter in order to persuade you that you have several pressing security concerns that need immediate attention. Check the top of the results: you will see the name of the program, in this case SecureFighter. It will list several scan options, as well as an option to register your copy of the program. Do not click on the ad. It is false, and you can determine this because it is not from your reputable scan program, it bears the name of a recognized rogue, and it is highly unlikely that you would have as many infections as SecureFighter claims to find. It sometimes finds several hundred.
How Did SecureFighter Gain Access?
There are two basic ways in which a rogue antivirus program like SecureFighter can enter a computer system. The first is user installation. It can happen that a user clicks on an ad for the program, not realizing it is a rogue, and opts to purchase the software. They may be looking for something else entirely, but land on SecureFighters website. These programs can create the appearance of legitimacy, so it is important to research any security program you are considering for your computer to ensure that it is reputable, safe, and effective.
The other method by which SecureFighter gains access is through Trojans. How does the Trojan get in then? They are disguised as something else. For instance, there is a Trojan that masquerades as an update for Adobe Flash. Because this is a reputable program, many people do not hesitate before agreeing to the update. Unfortunately, this allows the Trojan to come into your system. The Trojan then carries in various forms of malware, including rogue programs like SecureFighter. Adult sites often are singled out as being affected by Trojans, but other sites can be affected as well, including those that offer social networking and/or instant messaging.
When your computer is your workplace, school, or library, it is important that it works optimally. No matter what method SecureFighter used to find its way into your system, take immediate steps to remove it effectively and safely.
