ZoneAlarm Using Scareware Tactics?

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    ZoneAlarm Using Scareware Tactics?


    Posted: 21 Sep 2010
    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
    Posted By: marsmimar
    21 Sep 2010



  1. Posts : 34
    Windows 7 Home Premium X64
       #1

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

    sharkman
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,879
    Win 7 Ultimate x64
       #2

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


  3. Posts : 5,941
    Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
       #3

    "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
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,487
    Win 7 Pro x64/Win 10 Pro x64 dual boot
       #4

    stormy13 said:
    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.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 17,796
    Windows 10, Home Clean Install
       #5

    It has also been known to cause BSODs
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 12,364
    8 Pro x64
       #6

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


  7. Posts : 3,300
    Win7 Home Premium 64x
       #7

    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.....
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #8

    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.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,781
    Win 7 32 Home Premium, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1, Win 10
       #9

    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
      My Computer


 
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