Screenconnect, Connectwise, Logmein Rescue, Teamviewer11, ShowMyPC, Microsoft Registartion Files

that wrote:

these are not viruses. These programs do not install or configure themselves. Why would a/v pick them up, as they are as legitimate as Word?

Because on a cascading basis and not in the order I gave them, they are the preferred tools of trade of confidence tricksters and they can all be downloaded in the background and the strongest versions purchased using fraudulently set up online registrations from anonymous new email accounts, ALL WHILST THE VICTIM IS DISTRACTED. The victim may have only been persuaded to click on one or two innocuous or helpful-looking links (remember they believe they being are telephone assisted by Microsoft or similar into stopping a hack in progress). The worst of the downloads and the worst of the fraud then occurs behind the screens that are being discussed with the victim if the victim can be kept on the line long enough.

And how can that be? Well such software will only end up live on your machine by fraudsters who have far too easy non-verified access to such dangerous software and the comparison with Microsoft Word is if you forgive me, a rather naive one.

I think a better comparison might be to suggest that these softwares in the wrong hands are a bit like a crowbar in the wrong hands. If you see someone other than a craftsman in the street with a crowbar, you report it right?

If you see a normal non-corporate antivirus customer with these Tech Support Desk type softwares on their machine, you are saying they should not be reported by the antivirus software? Why not? Even simple adware is reported routinely!

that wrote: »

It gets to a point where you can no longer blame tools, or ignorance, and you have to take personal responsibility for your actions, buyer beware. It is not that fast car that causes accidents, but the nut behind the wheel.

There are things you can do the prevent stuff from happening like sandbox, firewalls, rollback software and policies (win pro and upwards), if correctly applied will cut down the vast majority of scams and problems. Coporations do use these.

I do not know if you are aware, but I have been now authorised to tell you that you have inherited $100,000,000, but the bank requires and upfront $10000 processing fee in advance, just sent via Weston Union to THAT

Also a post of poor cultural assertion of no use to ordinary computer users, and obtuse techno blurb and sarcasm intended to discredit a message that needs to be reinforced. I do not understand your motive in that post. Certainly I do not believe it satisfies the spirit of MSE rules on kindness or the spirit of MSE generally.

JJ_Egan wrote: »

If you had worded your post to warn users to be on the lookout for such software that they had not installed it would be good .

If you had worded your responses to reinforce the warning to ordinary home computer users to be on the lookout for such software that they had not installed it would be good .

Instead you post more than one message now that is not based upon much common fact or useful advice but on an irritable intention to shoot a messenger with whom you wish to publicly communicate that you wholly disagree (on what logical basis, we have no idea) .