A deceptive program that pretends to be a legitimate security component and warns of infections is best described as which category?

• A. Rogueware
• B. Adware
• C. Spyware
• D. Trojan

Answer: (A)

Rogueware is software that masquerades as a legitimate security tool and uses fake infection warnings to scare you into paying or installing it. This social-engineering tactic exploits fear of malware to coerce action, which matches the given description precisely. It’s not simply advertising (adware), which focuses on displaying ads; it’s not covert data collection (spyware); and while a Trojan can disguise itself as something harmless, the specific scenario—pretending to be security software and issuing alarming alerts to solicit payment—is the hallmark of rogueware, sometimes called scareware.