When personal computers were still a new technology, many people didn’t realize the importance of protecting their computers against viruses. But because so many people have experienced what happens when their computer gets infected with a virus, they now know that it’s very important to protect their computer against these threats.

As a result of people coming to understand the importance of antivirus programs, the malicious individuals who create viruses and other destructive programs have had to come up with new ways to spread their troublesome creations. One option they have found is exploiting the level of trust that people have for antivirus programs. Because people trust and value programs that can remove viruses from their computers, malware creators have started making and distributing fake versions of these programs.

Most of these programs are distributed through the same technique. As someone is surfing the Internet, they will suddenly see a message that tells them that their computer is infected with dangerous files. Once this message has someone’s attention, it goes on to state that they can download and install a free program to get rid of these malicious files. Because people get worried when they see this type of message, many choose to install the program on their computer.

However, once the program is installed, it actually starts doing harm. Depending on the specific program, it can do things like change Internet settings and disable legitimate antivirus programs. Because fake virus removal programs are so difficult to uninstall, the best thing you can do is be wary of any pop-up messages that you receive and avoid installing any programs on your computer without first verifying their legitimacy.