Logo
Sign InSign Up

What is Scareware | Definition and Meaning

Last modified on Sunday, October 8, 2023

1 minute read

Defining Scareware

Scareware is a phantom malware program that attempts to frighten users into purchasing or downloading a fake anti-virus or security software, or taking other actions. However, such scareware is often little more than an image or message pop-up or an application with code that might create the impression of device compromise. Scareware often has no malicious payload itself, the true harm comes from the user's reaction to it, where they may then be directed by the scareware to download actual malware which is advertised as a malware cure.

See also


Share this article

Stellastra The Cyber Security Comparison Platform

© 2023 Stellastra Ltd. All rights reserved. All names, logos, trademarks, etc belong to their respective owners. No endorsement or partnership is necessarily implied between company and Stellastra and vice versa. Information is provided for convenience only and may not always be accurate. For the most up to date information, contact vendor directly. Scores including email security, SPF, and DMARC are calculated based on certain metrics and other analyses may return different results.

LinkedInTwitter

Company

About StellastraContact usCyber Security Risk ScoreEmail Deliverability ToolStellastra Discover

Stay up to date