extortionware : Java Glossary

extortionware

A trial program that gradually becomes more and more obnoxious demanding that you register it, eventually making your computer unusable. It uses a number of stealth techniques to ensure you cannot uninstall it, or stop or stop it from autostarting after each boot. The vendor hopes you will give up and register the program just so you can get rid of it.

The classic program this of this type is Spy Falcon thankfully now defunct. The program masqueraded as a legitimate anti-spyware program. The program was actually also a virus since it installs itself superpiously piggybacked on a free Windows media codec from media-codec.com a partner in the crime.

A virus creator usually goes to great lengths to hide his authorship. The creators of the Falcon Spy Trojan are brazen about it. Their motivation is extortion, not vandalism.

Falcon Spy puts many hooks into the OS (Operating System) so that if you miss one of them, a remaining hook will restore the other hooks, making it difficult to get rid of by ordinary techniques. I found the Prevx anti-malware program from Britain was able to detect and remove it.

Anyone with the time or energy, I request make life awkward for these people including lawsuits and criminal prosecution.

The registered owner of Spyfalcon.com is:
SpyFalcon ltd.
David Taylor Unit 110 Alpha Bldg.
Subic International Hotel Rizal cor.
Sta. Rita Road, Subic Bay Freeport
Olongapo City, 2200, Phillippines
Tel. +206.9543154
david.alant@gmail.com

The registered owner of media-codec.com is:
Lemos Adamantios
aktis 119, vouliagmeni
Athens Greece
Tel. +030.2108960081

malware
Prevx anti-malware program
spyware
Trojan
virus

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