We’ve recently noticed a large spike in systems infected with fake antivirus programs. These programs are extremely crafty and are designed to look like legitimate security warnings. These programs go by many names (Antivirus XP, 2008, 2009, Vista Antivirus, MS Antivirus, Antivirus Master, Virus Heat, and may others)
Here are a few tips to help you avoid downloading the rogue software:
Tip one is the most important; Make sure your antivirus is up-to-date. As with any virus or malware infection, it’s important to have a reliable antivirus installed and kept up to date. Most antivirus programs will update daily, if not hourly. Antivirus programs such as Kaspersky Antivirus, Eset NOD32, Avast Antivirus, or AVG Antivirus are top notch programs, and will almost always warn of you of problem software.
Tip two: Never click on web page pop-ups warning of virus or spyware infection. The fakes are often designed to mimic more commonly known software such as McAfee or Norton Antivirus, and often use Windows logos.

Tip three: Use an alternate browser, such as Firefox, and enable the built in pop-up blocker. Several sites exploit security problems to automatically install malicious software. Firefox is not exempt from security exploits, but it does a better job of keeping you safe through faster updates and offers various security addons.
Tip four: Be cautious online. If you download, be sure you know what you’re downloading. If you use peer-to-peer services, many of the files are mislabeled and may include various different viruses even if they appear to be music or video files.