If at some point in your life you have entered the internet and suddenly you begin to observe how different types of messages invade you, it is because you have been facing adware or spam . Most of them are malicious software , which practically hijacks your browser to fill it with ads that you don’t really want to see.

Definition of adware

Adware is a type of malware that has the ability to access all the personal information of a user and does so through the presence of many advertisements which are aimed at the interest of the user. It is a software that has the ability to remain within the system displaying advertisements that are not actually from the web but have already been installed inside it.

Characteristics

Among the main characteristics of an adware we find the following:

• It has the ability to consume all the processing power of a computer.
• It causes downloads and the execution of ads to slow down the device.
• It generates a greater expenditure of data .
• It is a type of adware .
• It does not need user manipulation to be installed.
• It causes a series of announcements to be continuously observed on the interface .
• They work by following the pattern of navigation .

Source

The origin of the adware is in the year 1995 when several industry experts thought the adware would be a good way to create software for advertising .

History

After the first adware originated, security professionals thought it was safe and legitimate as it was created many times by businesses and workers to promote the companies. However, many of them were spread without actually taking into account that the provider had verified its legitimacy , for this reason, the adware grew in all possible forms that it found, completely and easily hijacking a computer .

With the passage of time, adware providers began to close the places from where they planned their work and in this way they denied any type of responsibility with the subject. After 2008 , the authorities began to impose a series of fines , which caused the creators of adware to give up . Now, they have changed their name and are also known as adblockers and plugins .

What is it for

If it is not a malicious adware, it can work very well for marketing campaigns in companies or to spread information that is considered of interest. It helps its developers to expand the software faster and thus increase profits quickly by getting more sales and special promotions.

How does it work

It works as a type of attack called ” man-in-the-middle ” and what it does is redirect all user traffic through the system itself, including HTTPS connections , which are supposed to be secure.

Types

The types of adware can vary and often come in different forms of pop – ups and banners . Some of these types of adware can track online movements and activities in order to search for ads that match a person’s profile. Others function as a kind of intermediary using and thus slowing down the computer.

What damage do they cause

When adware is malicious, it has the ability to install itself on the computer without the need for permissions. They have the ability, when installed without authorization , to become hackers and to access all the information on the computer due to the vulnerability of the browser, hijacking it almost immediately.

Adware on Android phones

Adware has the ability to infect Android cell phones very easily as its security is a little lower . It is usually shown as a mysterious icon that has not been installed by the user on the home screen and afterwards the ads start to block the notification bar . Android devices can be invaded by adware due to downloading of apps on the phone and they can also appear as ads on the full screen .

Adware on iPhone

It is quite difficult for adware to enter iPhone devices, however, it is not impossible either. In this case, users of this type of cell phone can find a large number of advertisements and advertisements for the same Apple services . However, the only way in which an iPhone user can become infected by adware from the web is if they jailbreak the cell phone, a procedure through which the iOS , which is the operating system, can be released. of iPhone thus managing to remove all the restrictions that have been implemented by Apple.

Top sources of adware

The main source of adware is through the downloading of programs that manage to install adware without the user realizing it and without the need for permission . Another source is websites , which unintentionally download and, when it infiltrates and downloads, begins to steal and collect personal information.

How to avoid adware

Some of the best tips to prevent the presence of adware are the following:

• Using a trusted ad blocker .
• Never click on ads that look too good to be true, any type of ad that offers you free stuff is a scam.
• Pay no attention and completely ignore the false warnings as well as the pop-up messages that flash and have exclamation marks indicating the presence of a virus, this is completely false.
• Avoid visiting websites of suspicious appearance , especially if it is engaged in online shopping.
• Use a powerful antivirus program .

How to detect it

Finding out if you have adware on your computer is actually very simple and the first thing you can see is the presence of ads and more ads, this is the number one indicator that you are in the presence of an adware. It is also likely that the browser has a certain appearance different from what is usually observed, it may be that suddenly you have a different taskbar or that the home page is a different one.

It is also common to see that there are new applications on the computer without them having been installed or downloaded, the machine starts to work more slowly and also, it may crash more easily. Finally, when you visit pages on the web, they redirect you to other strange sites which makes it difficult for you to navigate.

How to remove adware

The best way to eliminate this type of malware is by means of anti-adware or antimalware , a tool that is also used to diagnose the presence of the problem. If one is detected, then you must install a removal tool for adware that is able to clean the infection.

Featured examples

Some examples of adware are mentioned below:

• Fireball : It emerged in 2017 and caused more than a fifth of corporate computer networks to get infected with it. It was developed by Rafotech, a Chinese digital marketing agency .
• Appearch : this is a very common adware that hijacks the browser and is linked to other free software that is responsible for inserting ads, making browsing the web practically impossible.
• DollarRevenue : it was one of the first adware that could infect thousands of computers worldwide, it was in charge of installing a toolbar, it showed fake ads and a series of pop-up windows.
• Gator – This is the pioneer of selective marketing and he was on Go! Zilla and Kazaa eliminating ads and then implanting theirs. It had the ability to record browsing histories and credit card numbers.
• DeskAd : displays fake ads in the browser by redirecting traffic to suspicious pages while simultaneously displaying a large number of pop-up ads.

Recommended antiadware

Some of the best Antiadware that can be found today are:

• Adwcleaner
• Adaware
• Greasy Fork AntiAdware
• Malwarebytes AdwCleaner.