Roundly Problematic: Antivirus 360

Antivirus 360 – A Look at the Program

Antivirus 360 looks quite a bit like a number of other actual antispyware and antivirus programs. It’s in the same family as Antivirus 2009, another rogue security program floating around online. The goal of this is to get you to buy the full version of the program, so it does a number of things to help convince you that your machine actually needs its help. The biggest issue with this program, though, is that it looks so much like other real programs, including Norton’s antivirus solution, so novice computer users may be a bit confused. The interface itself looks very real, and the messages would be concerning to anyone sitting in front of a computer, and while those factors may make it seem safe to buy this program, it’s really just another rogue security application behind the strong façade. If you do actually have Antivirus 360 installed on your computer, you are likely to begin seeing a number of signs.

One of the first, and most recognizable, features of this program is the pop up advertisements. These come in two basic forms. One of them looks like a typical advertising pop up you’d see while you were online. The other one looks like a Window’s notification balloon. These are the little bubbles that come from your system tray, the area next to the clock on your computer.

Traditional Pop Up Ads: One typical pop up many people report comes in the form of a large red box. The text usually says “Warning” or “Antivirus 360 Alert!” or some combination of the two. From there, you’re likely to see text that says “Privacy Violation Alert! Antivirus 360 detected a Privacy Violation. A program is secretly sending your private data to an untrusted internet source. Click here to block this activity by removing the threat (recommended).” It may also say “Privacy Violation” or “Privacy Alert” or a combination of the two at the top of the box. Once you see the pop up, it looks like it has two buttons for you to click on. One of them says “Block” and the other says “Ignore.” Clicking either of them, though, will lead you to the same place – the Antivirus 360 home page so that you can buy the whole version of the program. The home page itself is very good about listing the features of the program, but don’t let that convince you to buy, as there are actually better security options out there. This, however, is not the only traditionally-style pop up you may see on your computer. The other one is also a large red box, but the text varie with this one. It usually alerts you that your system files are being modified, and the actual text inside the box will say something like “Some critical system files of your computer were modified by a malicious program. It may cause system instability and data loss. Click here to block unauthorised modification by removing threats (Recommended).” Again, though, you’ll be presented with those same two choices, and both of them will lead you back to the home page where you can buy the whole version of the program.

Windows Notification Balloon Pop Ups: The actual text on these may vary from time to time, but al of them will tell you about a security problem with your computer, and in every case, you’ll be asked to click on the balloon so that you can reach a solution for your problem. In each case, though, clicking on the balloon will just lead you to the program’s home page, where you’ll be asked to buy the full version.

While the popups are the most noticeable aspect of Antivirus 360, there are a number of other things you might see happening if you do have it installed. First, you’ll probably start seeing system scans on a regular basis. Remember that the goal is to get you to buy the program, and the scans are just one more way of suggesting that you need its protection. Perhaps the most concerning aspect, though, is that the actual scan window looks very real. It looks like you’re using almost any name brand security software, and in fact, you’ll see many of the same colors and logo styles as brands like Norton. If you do have Antivirus 360 scanning your computer, there’s no real mistaking it. In the top left side of the window, you’ll even see the program’s name and the text “Unregistered Version.” Under that, you’ll see an X in a red box that hints at the danger your system is in, and over on the right side, you’ll see the name of the program again. The right side of this applicationn interface is devoted to the menu, and you’ll see many traditional navigation buttons including “Update,” “System Scan,” “Settings,” and “Security.” The scanner takes up the rest of the window, and as it scans your system, you’ll see the names of a variety of programs popping up. Unfortunately, this in and of itself is a bit frightening, because you may have heard many of these names before online or on the news, and they’re usually some of the biggest computer threats today. The good part, however, is that Antivirus 360 is not actually finding these programs on your machine. They’re simply trying to tell you that you need to buy the software. Once the scan is complete, there will be the number of files that are problematic, as well as those file names. Furthermore, it details the problems that can occur with your computer if you choose not to purchase the full version of the software and remove the threats. Just like you saw with the pop up ads, you get two potential choices, but selecting either takes you to the program’s home page where you will, again, be prompted to type in your credit card number and buy the program outright.