Skype users receive unsolicited calls in the form of a computer-generated voice message warning users that their computer security is not up-to-date

September 27, 2011 /India PRwire/ -- IT security and data protection firm, Sophos, warned Skype users to be careful following the discovery of an automated attack, designed to spread fake anti-virus software. Skype users receive unsolicited calls in the form of a computer-generated voice message warning users that their computer security is not up-to-date, directing them to a specific website where visitors will be asked to enter personal information and pay to download software to repair their computer.

The voice messages in the automated calls say-

"Attention: this is an automated computer system alert. Your computer protection service is not active. To activate computer protection, and repair your computer, go to [LINK]"

"As more and more people become acquainted with the tricks used by internet scammers, cyber criminals & scammers are pressed to find new social engineering tricks in the hope of duping the unwary. Fake anti-virus or scareware is an increasingly common example of this and takes advantage of those worried enough to visit such dubious sites," said Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant at Sophos. "Personally, I wouldn't want to trust any product which uses Skype spam techniques to advertise itself, and presents itself in such an underhand manner. Skype users need to be vigilant in their privacy settings to combat this, and unsolicited Skype calls can be stopped by amending privacy settings so that only users listed in your contacts can get in touch with you."

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Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Notes to Editor

Company Information

More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest TCO. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs-a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, UK and Boston, US. Know more

For more information, please contact:
Shubhendu Nath (Principal Consultant) (L) +91.80.41603144, (M) +91.9901992978