Reply to post: Why?

Windows 10 or Cisco Advanced Malware Protection: Pick one

Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward

Why?

Windows 10 already comes with decent malware detection already.

I'm getting a bit tired of having to repair friends computers because some big-box electronics stores are pushing out whatever garbage third-party "security" suite they happen to be partnered with that month.

Case in point, my friends son purchased a new Windows 10 laptop from Best Buy and they gave him a "free" copy of Web Root antivirus.

The problem is the square plastic case that was supposed to contain a tamper-proof, read-only CD of Web Root was empty and just had a URL printed on the inside to download the Web Root installer from the web.

Of course since it is his first computer he must have fat-fingered the address or entered only a partial address into the search bar or something but whatever the case was he was directed to a scam website which was very helpful by doing the install for him remotely over LogMeIn and then of course went about gathering my friends sons debit card information, phone number and email address and also the serial number for Web Root before I walked in and saw what was happening.

The URL he was supposed to have gone to was "webroot[dot]com/safe" but if you do a web search for webroot safe you will there are several bogus webroot sites of scammers taking advantage of the fact that there are no disks in the box including putting the real url in the title of the html on the bogus site.

However, if you do actually enter the CORRECT url you might see a quick 302 redirect because of an http link and of course you are greeted with tracking beacons from Facebook and Yahoo and other surprises before getting a download link.

Some of those bogus sites are linking directly to WebRoots servers for the convincing graphics and WebRoot logos so it makes me wonder why WebRoot's webmaster doesn't see this traffic in the logs.

(And of course Google's analytics running in there as well)

Before installing any dodgy third party "security" suite users should read a few of Tavis Ormandy's thoughts on the matter.

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