New Family of Rogue Security Programs Alters its Names Based on the Windows OS Version of the Targeted PC

Did you know there is a whole family of new rogue security applications, over 30 of them in all, which are designed to target different versions of the Windows operating system?

It is no surprise to us that cybercriminals who create and aggressively market rogue security programs will specifically target popular operating system versions through the naming of their fake applications. They have been doing this for years now but lately we have noticed that this specific family of rogue anti-spyware programs was created to target the 3 most recent versions of the Windows operating system, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

If you have ever been faced with the difficult task of removing a rogue anti-spyware program, you know exactly what they are and what the main object of their creators are. That objective is to use extortion tactics to mainly get computer users to purchase their bogus security program. To make the cybercrook's job easier, they will mimic the same functionality in multiple rogue applications but will only change certain characteristics to cleverly target specific computer users. One of those characteristics has been recognized as a sly method to target specific versions of Windows.

How are Rogue Security Applications Able to Target Specific Versions of Windows?

Ever heard of the expression "Never judge a book by its cover"? Well, what if you encounteR a program that goes by the name of Win 7 AntiVirus Pro? Wouldn't you think that it is a legitimate 'Antivirus' program specifically designed for a PC running Windows 7? That is exactly what the creators of these malicious programs want you to think. By using a name that is suggestive of a specific Windows version, they are able to dupe thousands of computer users into 'trusting' their bogus security programs.

The names of these bogus security programs vary depending on which version of Windows the cybercrooks are attacking. Usually the name begins with the particular version of Windows such as in the case of the rogue called XP AntiSpyware 2011 and Vista AntiSpyware 2011. Clearly, 'XP AntiSpyware 2011' is designed to target computer users using Windows XP while 'Vista AntiSpyware 2011' targets Windows Vista. Essentially the only difference in the rogue XP AntiSPyware 2011 and Vista AntiSpyware 2011 is the name. Both programs have virtually the same interface. The creators of these programs even go as far as to make each application resemble graphics and colors familiar to Windows. This is so the computer user does not draw any suspicions as to the validity of the rogue application. When a computer user is greeted with one of these rogue progams, through a popup alert or system scan result, they usually have no clue that it is not a legitimate security program. Instead, they assume that it is either part of the Windows operating system or a built-in security program that has just detected new viruses on their system.

Chances are, you are not currently running Windows 98 or even Windows 2000 on your PC. These are outdated operating systems that cybercriminals once targeted through old rogue security programs. For obvious reasons, the creators of operating systems are consistently updating their software, but the cybercrooks who create rogue security programs are doing the same for their own unscrupulous program. The list below exhibits several rogue security programs that were specifically created to target a particular version of Windows. The version of Windows that it targets is listed in bold followed by each related rogue name below.

Family of Rogue Security Programs Targeting Specific Versions of Windows

Windows 7 Targeted Rogue Security Program Names

• Win 7 AntiVirus Pro
• Win 7 AntiVirus 2011
• Win 7 AntiSpyware 2011
• Win 7 Home Security
• Win 7 Home Security 2011
• Win 7 Total Security
• Win 7 Total Security 2011
• Win 7 Security
• Win 7 Security 2011
• Win 7 Internet Security 2010
• Win 7 Internet Security 2011

Windows Vista Targeted Rogue Security Program Names

• Vista AntiVirus 2010
• Vista AntiVirus 2011
• Vista AntiSpyware 2010
• Vista AntiSpyware 2011
• Vista Home Security 2011
• Vista Total Security
• Vista Total Security 2011
• Vista Security 2010
• Vista Security 2011
• Vista Internet Security
• Vista Internet Security 2010
• Vista Internet Security 2011

Windows XP Targeted Rogue Security Program Names

• XP AntiVirus Pro 2010
• XP AntiVirus 2011
• XP AntiSpyware 2009
• XP AntiSpyware 2010
• XP AntiSpyware 2011
• XP Home Security 2011
• XP Total Security 2011
• XP Security
• XP Security 2011
• XP Internet Security
• XP Internet Security 2010
• XP Internet Security 2011

The next time that you come across a program with a name similar to any of the rogue programs above, will you think twice about trusting it? If you do encounter any of these applications, it is in your best interest to remove them so you do not make the mistake of wasting your money for something absolutely insignificant to protecting your PC from malware.