Winwebsec is a category of
malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, depri ...
that targets the users of
Windows operating systems and produces
fake claims as genuine anti-malware
software, then demands payment to provide fixes to fictitious problems.
Winwebsec
These are programs that generate misleading alerts and false detections in order to convince users to purchase illegitimate security software. Some of these programs, including Win32/Winwebsec, may display product names or logos of some well-known companies like Microsoft in an attempt to impersonate some genuine products of legitimate companies.
The software shows popup that claim to scan for malware, and displays fake warnings similar to:
They then show a message to the user that they need to pay money to activate the software in order to remove these threats which actually don’t exist. This
malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, depri ...
may display a dialog that looks similar to
Windows Security Center
Security and Maintenance (formerly known as Action Center, and Security Center in earlier versions) is a component of the Windows NT family of operating systems that monitors the security and maintenance status of the computer. Its monitoring c ...
or it may have names like Live Security Platinum
or Security Shield. The GUI varies from variant to variant.
Microsoft security software detects and removes this family of threats.
Variants
*Smart Protection 2012
*Smart Protection 2013
*Smart Protection 2014
*Security Sphere 2012
*Security Sphere 2013
*Security Sphere 2014
*System Security
*Winweb Security (where the family gets its name from)
*Smart Security
*Total Security
*Security Tool
*Security Shield
*Security Scanner
*System Tool
*MS Removal Tool
*Essential Cleaner
*Win 7 Security System
*Win 8 Security System
*Win XP Security System
*System Progressive Protection
*Disk Antivirus Professional
*System Care Antivirus
*Live Security Platinum
*Personal Shield Pro
*AVASoft Antivirus Professional
*AVASoft Professional Antivirus
*Smart Fortress 2012
*Smart Fortress 2013
*Smart Fortress 2014
*System Doctor 2012
*System Doctor 2013
*System Doctor 2014
*Reimage Repair
*Adware/AntiSpywarePro2009
*Adware/UltimateCleaner
*Adware/Xpantivirus2008
*AntiSpyware Pro 2009
*AntiVirus2008
*FakeAlert-AntiSpywarePro
*FakeAlert-WinwebSecurity.gen
See also
*
Rogue security software
Rogue security software is a form of malicious software and internet fraud that misleads users into believing there is a virus on their computer and aims to convince them to pay for a fake malware removal tool that actually installs malware on ...
*
Social engineering (security)
*
List of rogue security software
The following is a partial list of rogue security software, most of which can be grouped into ''families''. These are functionally identical versions of the same program repackaged as successive new products by the same vendor.
* Windows Anti ...
*
Scareware
References
{{Reflist
Computer security articles needing attention
Windows malware