XP Defender

Instead of defending your PC from malware and other dangers, XP Defender is itself, a form of malware that's identified as a rogue anti-malware program. Like the other members of its family (identified by SpywareRemove.com malware experts as WinPC Defender), XP Defender displays pop-up alerts with fraudulent security information, system scans that detect nonexistent infections and even browser redirects to fake warning pages, all to make you want to purchase its registered version to remove these threats. However, the purchased version of XP Defender is just as lacking in security features as the unpurchased version, and you should use an actual anti-malware product to get rid of XP Defender for free after your computer displays any of the symptoms noted here.

XP Defender: Windows XP's Version of an Ancient Recurring Scam

XP Defender acts like an individual and reputable product that tends to your computer's overall safety and, in particular, malicious software-related attacks, but XP Defender actually has been identified as a minor variant of very similar rogue anti-malware scanners from the FakeRean family. Other fake anti-malware programs that are associated with XP Defender's family include examples like Ultimate Defender, SystemDefender, IE Defender, Advanced XP Defender, WinDefender2008, PCTotalDefender, PC Defender 2008, Personal Defender 2009, WinDefender 2009, Perfect Defender 2009, Total Defender, Malware Defender 2009, WinPC Defender, PC Privacy Defender, Smart Defender Pro, Rogue.UltimateDefender, FraudTool.LastDefender.b and Security Defender Pro 2015. Other than minor aesthetic differences, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers consider these members of FakeRean to be close to identical to each other, particularly in terms of their major malicious functions.

After being installed by any of several methods (spam e-mail links, Blackhole Exploit Kit attacks and fake online scanners are favored delivery strategies), XP Defender adds an auto-start entry to the compromised PC's Registry and launches its attacks as soon as Windows starts. Besides faking system-scanning features, XP Defender also may create multiple types of fake system alerts and pop-ups, all of which will warn you about attacks that aren't taking place, as well as malicious software that's not installed on your PC.

The major drive of XP Defender's attack plan is to make you think that buying XP Defender will save your PC from the many imaginary PC threats that XP Defender warns you about, although SpywareRemove.com malware analysts strongly discourage spending any money on XP Defender whatsoever. XP Defender also may be accompanied by other forms of malware and is especially often included alongside Trojans with downloading capabilities.

How XP Defender Lays into Your PC with Its Idea of Preemptive Defense

XP Defender's defining traits may be its fraudulent security functions, but SpywareRemove.com malware analysts also have seen reasons to be concerned over XP Defender's secondary functions, which can cripple your PC's security as XP Defender attempts to prevent itself from being removed. Such attacks can include:

• Web browser hijacks that force you to view a fake warning page in lieu of a legitimate website. XP Defender may make particular efforts to redirect your browser away from PC security-themed sites.
• Program-blocking attacks that force all other executable files to be filtered through XP Defender, which may deny them or allow them at its leisure. In most cases, XP Defender will block the other program and display a fake damage/infection alert.
• System changes that disable basic security functions, particularly the Windows Firewall, update manager and UAC.

These attacks cause your computer to be more vulnerable to attacks from other types of malware than it would be under ordinary circumstances. Consequentially, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend deleting XP Defender with a tried and true anti-malware program as soon as you can do so.

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