Windows 7 - ZoneAlarm Using Scareware Tactics?

marsmimar · 09-21-2010

Quote:

Scareware is generally considered to be a service that scares users to sell products. This is usually a strategy of fake antivirus software which detects threats that are not there. The information that a computer virus was found will scare users into buying additional protection to secure their system and remove the threats from.

The popular security company ZoneAlarm has started to use scareware tactics to sell more of their products. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall users received a notification window, that informed them about a global virus alert. The notification reads:

“Global Virus Alert - Your PC may be in danger! Virus Details: Risk:high Threat name: ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq. ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq is a new Trojan virus that steals banking passwords and financial account data. Your ZoneAlarm Free Firewall provides basic protection, but this new threat requires additional security.”

Options are to see the threat details or get protection.

More ...
ZoneAlarm Global Virus Alert About ZeuS.Zbot.aoaq, Scareware At Its Best

sharkman · 09-21-2010

It freaked me out enough so that I ran Malwarebytes on my system after I saw that warning.

sharkman

stormy13 · 09-21-2010

Been avoiding/ignoring and not recommending ZA for years. This is just one more reason to do so.

jimbo45 · 09-21-2010

"A little learning is a Dangerous thing" ....... William Shakespeare I think sometime between 1500 and 1600 A.D

True then -- even truer today.

Sneak and scareware are both HORIBBLE and insidious tactics -- sneakware is employed hugely by sites like DRIVERMAX which offer to scan and update your drivers -- and after its found what you think you are looking for it then informs you to that the facility you want is only available for PAID registrations.

Scareware is just as bad " Your computer *may have* a potential virus etc etc.

Any computer in the known (and probably unkown too) universe *might* have a computer virus.

Safe surfing, decent firewalls, and some proper real time AV stuff like MSE should be more than sufficient.

Please don't get suckered into these types of sites.

Cheers
jimbo

Mellon Head · 09-21-2010

Quote: Originally Posted by stormy13

Been avoiding/ignoring and not recommending ZA for years. This is just one more reason to do so.

Agreed. This borders on being completely unethical.

richc46 · 09-21-2010

It has also been known to cause BSODs

smarteyeball · 09-21-2010

ZA was all the rage years ago - but to pull something like just goes to show how low they have really sunk.

Thorsen · 09-21-2010

Did they think no one would notice? Will all the AV's now list ZA as a threat?

This was a huge bad business decision.....

Layback Bear · 09-21-2010

It seems like the old big boys in anti virus are using the same drug. The pill is called, (get the money while you can) because here comes MSE.

Borg 386 · 09-21-2010

I don't use Zone Alarm anymore, but I had several people call me this weekend asking me about the messages they were getting along the same lines.

Scareware tactics isn't a good way to do business