Antivirus Software Alert

Antivirus Software Alert is a false positive warning that's created to confuse the users into believing they have an infection that isn't present. Rogue anti-virus programs that utilize this message are able to attack most versions of Windows, and can cause varied problems such as hijacking your browser or shutting down security software. Any program using the Antivirus Software Alert message should be considered an enemy to your computer and deleted.

All Wrapped Up in a Tidy Rogue Anti-virus Package

Antivirus Software Alert never comes as an independent problem, but only as part of a greater rogue anti-virus infection. Rogue products may themselves be delivered by Trojans that infiltrate the computer secretly for the purpose of dropping rogue anti-virus programs. Two prominent rogue anti-virus programs currently confirmed to use the Antivirus Software Alert are Antivir Solution Platinum and Antivir Solution Pro. The message text for Antivirus Software Alert is typically similar to this:

Antivirus Software Alert
ATTENTION! SPYWARE ALERT
Vulnerabilities found.
Your computer is infected by spyware – 34 serious threats have been found while scanning your files and registry. It is strongly recommended that you disinfect your computer and activate realtime secure protection against future intrusions.

Why do you need realtime spyware protection?
Upgrade to full version of antivirus software to clean your computer and prevent new security and privacy attacks. You will be able to download daily updates and get online protection against Internet attacks.

Ignore the shiny aesthetics that mimic the look of an official Windows alert. This message is just a malware advertisement in disguise and has zilch to do with your computer's health. If you're using Windows 9x, 2K, XP, Vista or Windows 7 you may be attacked by a rogue anti-virus infection using this method.

Antivirus Software Alert Related Problems to Be Guarded Against

Rogue programs that use Antivirus Software Alert come with a whole host of other attacks, even if you ignore this one alert. Other problems to watch for include:

• Generally misleading and unusual error messages, including official-looking desktop pop-up The content of these errors is usually fixed to occur at a scheduled point in time no matter what the health of your computer system.
• Browser hijacks. The altered search results for popular search engines can redirect you towards malicious websites without you knowing about it. In other cases, the rogue program may display a warning message to block a safe site, especially when the site is security-oriented.
• Crashing programs, particularly anti-virus scanners and Windows-centric tools like Control Panel and Task Manager.The rogue program actually causes these crashes and only afterwards creates a fake error message to have plausible deniability.

All of this will only become worse if you allow the malware responsible for Antivirus Software Alert to stay around. Deleting all related infections will allow you to have renewed control over your own system, but don't wait too long if you want to minimize any potential for unrecoverable damage.