An employee is working on an important document when a message appears on their screen. "Your computer is infected. Click here to fix it now." In a moment of panic, they click and give attackers a way into your business. This is scareware. It enters businesses through fear and deception. Scareware is designed to trick people into taking action that allows attackers in.
Scareware is fake security software or alarming messages designed to convince people that their device has a problem. The goal is to make them act quickly out of fear. Attackers want people to download dangerous software, share passwords, or pay for fake services.
Once clicked, scareware can:
Businesses are targeted because they hold valuable data and rely on system uptime to maintain their day-to-day operations.
Scareware targets everyone in a business, including administration staff, finance teams, customer service teams, and executives. Attackers know that it only takes one person to make a mistake, so they target anyone who uses email, browsers, or cloud software.
Many believe scareware only affects Windows users, but this is untrue. Mac users are also targeted. Attackers create fake Apple security alerts that look real, using messages like "Your Mac is infected with a virus" or "Apple Security Breach Detected." These pop-ups are designed to trick Mac users into downloading malware or entering passwords. Whether your team uses Windows or Mac, scareware can and will target both.
Scareware creates a false sense of danger and urgency to encourage a frantic and prompt reaction. It uses:
These messages are designed to look real. They often use official logos and language to convince people to act. Even people with a keen eye for a scam can easily fall for these types of attacks, especially when busy or under pressure.
Scareware works because it uses fear to make people act fast. Staff may hesitate but still click when unsure. One mistake can expose your business to attackers.
In Australia, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received approximately 94,000 cybercrime reports in the 2022/2023 financial year, marking a 23% increase compared to the previous year. The financial impact of these crimes is substantial, with the average cost of cybercrime per report for individuals rising to approximately $30,700, a 17% increase from the previous year.
Scareware is part of this growing problem. It is often used to target businesses that have remote workers, shared devices, or rely on cloud platforms like Microsoft 365.
Fake alerts and pop-ups do more than open the door to attackers. They slow down staff and create fear and confusion. Every moment spent dealing with a fake message is time taken away from running your business.
Emerging IT understands how scareware works and why businesses are targeted. That is why we are now blocking scareware for all Microsoft Edge browsers for every client we manage.
This is done automatically and does not require you to take action.
If your business uses browsers other than Edge, like Chrome or Safari, we recommend you speak with us to review your current security setup. We can implement additional protections such as web filtering, endpoint security, and email security to reduce scareware risks. You can also consider moving critical business users to Microsoft Edge to benefit from the built-in Scareware Blocker.
Microsoft Edge Scareware Blocker:
You should not have to decide if a message is real or fake. Emerging IT and Microsoft Edge are stopping scareware before it reaches your staff. You can focus on running your business without worrying about cyber threats.
If you are unsure if your staff would recognise scareware or if you are protected, now is the time to act. Emerging IT takes care of these threats so you don't have to. Contact us to learn more about how we keep businesses safe.