Virus and malware infections. researches and warnings

"Access to your computer was denied" browser piracy virus removal instructions

The message, "Access to your computer was denied. Illegally downloaded music tracks (in other words, 'pirated copies') have been detected on your PC", appears when browsing the Internet and is a scam. It is a ransomware virus that affects Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.

This rogue pop-up is created by cybercriminals hoping that unsuspecting Internet users will fall for the fake message and pay a $100 or 100 Euro bogus fine using Paysafecard. The fine is purportedly for the user having pirated copies of music files (supposedly detected) on their computers. In fact, paying this fine is equivalent to sending money directly to cybercriminals.

Today, while testing new malware and fake antivirus samples, a great idea occurred to me. Remember that trick when you hit CTRL+A and ENTER on your friend's computer? All programs, files, shortcuts, and everything else on the desktop are executed simultaneously. When this occurs, the only way to return the system to normal is to restart the computer.

The Idea - What if we do the same with many fake antivirus programs?

This was blowing my mind all day, so I finally decided to take the challenge and do the test. I prepared my old Intel P4 computer with 512 MB of RAM, restored it with a fresh install, and checked if it was in perfect working order.

Meet the participants - Fake antivirus programs

After spending some time searching for various fake antivirus samples, I selected 14 participants. These were fake antivirus programs that scare users into buying full versions by displaying bogus warnings and errors. Some were old versions, some more recent.

Before starting the test, I scanned all samples with AVG Antivirus Free Edition. One fake antivirus was not detected by AVG, despite ensuring AVG was running with the latest updates.

Rogue programs, fake antiviruses, fake security scans, fake antispyware, etc., are some of the most prevalent infections today.

When encountering many of the above software packages, most users believe they are genuine security products that do a good job. And of course, most of those users go on to enter their credit card details to 'purchase' one of these antivirus programs. Unfortunately, there is a high probability that the user is then charged considerably more than the price declared in the shopping cart.

The "Wait a minute! This is important - we check your devices" Message Promotes a Fake Malware Scanner

When you surf the Internet, be very careful. Many fake online security 'scanners' claim to scan your computer for viruses and spyware. However, these scanners are fake and attempt to scare PC users for malicious purposes. Do not believe these online scans, especially if you have not specifically requested one.

Wait a minute! This is important - we check your devices - Recognise this message?  This is one of the most popular fake online spyware and malware scanners.

When you open the web page of this scanner, a Javascript message pops up. It reports that your computer contains various infections, and the system requires immediate checking.

When you press OK, the web page imitates the 'My Computer' folder by displaying local hard disks, documents, folders, etc. These hard drives and document folders appear the same to all website visitors and do not represent your actual computer configuration. However, to less-experienced users, this may seem threatening and scary.