Protect Your Computer From ProtectShield Scareware

Antivirus protection is a top priority for any computer, and naturally enough, an entire industry has sprung up to offer system security. And just as naturally, an entire industry has sprung up that takes advantage of the need for reliable security and seeks to exploit it for its own financial gain. ProtectShield and other rogue antivirus programs create the illusion of severe threats and try to convince users that they have to purchase their software in order to remove them. Our need for security, and for quick resolution of risks, is what rogue programs thrive on.
What is ProtectShield?
Scareware is increasingly common, but rogue programs like ProtectShield tend to rely on the same methods. While inconvenient for the computer user, it does make them relatively easy to identify. Their overall goal is to persuade you to buy their software, and to do this, they must create the illusion of security risks in your machine. Thus, they launch intensive ad campaign, and while the ever-present pop-ups and false scan results can be worrisome, remember that they are just ads. This rogue program has no more power to scan your computer than it does to remove threats and offer protection. Rogues depend on confusion and illusion.
ProtectShield In Your System
How does it get in? How does it behave once it is in there? These are two of the most important questions a computer user needs to ask about rogue antivirus programs. Like most other scareware, ProtectShield depends on trojans. A trojan is like a bus that takes various forms of malware into your computer, and this bus usually travels the same routes. Sites that feature adult, gaming, pirated, freeware, P2P, free ad-ons and applications, social networking, and chat features are hotspots for trojan activity. Clicking on an ad, downloading a free video, or simply clicking on an affected link can allow the trojan to move on.
It should also be noted that when you search for "trending" topics, or frequently searched-for items, about ten percent of the top 100 results are malicious. Clicking through to one of these sites can allow malware to access the system.
Once inside, the rogue program goes through a dormant stage. You don't know it's there, but it is working to change your security settings. Once it does this, it is free to begin a more active life. Its two most prominent features are:
Pop-ups. These warn you that your computer is at risk from malware. The only way to fix this is to download ProtectShield immediately, so the ads say. But remember, these are ads only.
False scan results. We depend on security scans to alert us of potential threats, and this rogue creates mock scan result windows that feature the Windows logo in an attempt at legitimacy. While these appear to be from a trusted Windows source, the name "ProtectShield" is clearly printed at the top of the screen. Again, they want you to take immediate action without looking a little closer.
Slow performance, difficulty navigating, and unfamiliar desktop or taskbar icons are all signs that a rogue antivirus program has taken up residency in your computer. Knowing how to identify the rogue is the first step. The second is safely removing ProtectShield.
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