Antivirus 7: A Rogue

If you have downloaded Antivirus 7 to protect your computer from malware, you may want to consider downloading different antivirus software immediately. Antivirus 7 is a rogue application that tricks its users and then infects their computers. Here's what rogue means in the context of internet security, and what antivirus software with this label means to your operating system and personal security.

What is Antivirus 7?

You've probably run across Antivirus 7 many times as you search the internet. It pops up when you go to sites of questionable integrity. It looks like a normal system clean-up application. In the window, the software purports to scan your computer and reports that you have multiple Trojans on your system. According to the window message, you need to download Antivirus 7 to rid your computer of the infected files.

What is Rogue Software?

Rogue software is specifically designed to trick people into thinking it is a viable product when it actually does the opposite of what it says it does. Basically, it is a fake and a scam.

What Makes Antivirus 7 Rogue Software?

After the initial scan, Antivirus 7 is – at least initially – free software that you can download to your computer. It will run a scan on your computer and produce a report stating that it cleared your computer of infected items. After producing the report, a window prompts you to buy more advanced software to irradiate malware more efficiently. These reports are not real, and chances are your computer wasn't infected with a virus.

At least your computer wasn't infected before you installed the rogue software. Other than trying to sell you antivirus protection, this rogue application may also download viruses to your computer while it is supposedly finding and removing them. Inevitably, the whole point of this charade is to scam you into installing Trojans on your computer. These Trojans are often used to spread Antivirus 7 from your system to others.

Possibly the worst side effect of using this rogue software is that it gives you a false sense of security while other, potentially more-dangerous viruses attack your computer with no deterrence.

How Do I Remove Rogue Software?

If you have already installed this rogue application, don't worry. You can get rid of it by doing the following:

1. Delete the software. Go to your Start menu, click on Computer and then select Uninstall or Change Program. Find Antivirus 7 in the list of programs and choose the delete option.
2. Install reputable antivirus software and run a full scan of all the files on all of your drives.
3. Using your new security software, delete any infections the scan finds.
4. Avoid clicking on website links you aren't familiar with and downloading unknown software.

As with anything on the internet, you shouldn't download or install system-cleaning software without researching its reliability and safety. Antivirus 7 is just another scam used by unscrupulous people to infiltrate computer systems and wreak havoc.

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