When it comes to adware or advertising-supported software (in Italian we would say an “advertising-supported software”), we refer to that type of software which, once installed, begins to show unwanted advertisements on your device in the form of banners or pop-ups. In short, these programs are not malware and are often annoying and generally harmless, but in some cases represent a risk to security and privacy.
Not all adware is dangerous: Some are downloaded with the user’s consent in exchange for benefits, such as free access to an app. However, There are malicious versions of adware which can collect personal information to sell to third parties, redirect user searches to fraudulent sites, or even slow down the functioning of the device.
The good news is that removing “bad” adware is possibleas long as you realize it and use suitable tools. However, prevention remains the best defense tool: downloading software only from safe sources, reading the authorizations carefully and using updated antiviruses can significantly mitigate the risk of running into harmful adware.
How to detect the presence of malicious adware
The presence of adware manifests itself through advertising banners, pop-up windows or toolbars that appear while using a program (for example a web browser). Although initially designed to allow developers to recover development costs, its use has become controversial over time. In the most invasive cases, users are unaware of its presence, as adware can be hidden in apps downloaded from untrustworthy stores or in compromised software. Its main purpose is to trick you into interacting with advertisements, generating revenue for developers through clicks on banners. This strategy can lead to unwanted behavior, such as opening malicious websites or installing additional malicious programs.
Not all adware is created to harm. Some applications integrate legitimate adwarewhich is knowingly accepted by the user, usually in exchange for some benefits. The common example from this point of view is represented by free versions of apps, which display advertisements as an alternative to a paid version without banner ads. It must be said that this model, although legitimate, can sometimes contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. In fact, developers may not foresee all the potential security flaws present in their software, leaving room for potentially dangerous malware.
The problem becomes more serious withMalicious adwarewhich uses deceptive tactics to infiltrate devices. This type of software can fill the screen with ads (as in the example you find in the image below), track online activities without consent (acting as spyware) or include potentially unwanted programs or PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) or from potentially unwanted applications or PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application). Some types of adware also take advantage of advanced techniques, such as cyber-type attacks MitM (Man-in-the-Middle), to intercept the user’s online communications, even if these “on paper” are encrypted, with the aim of collecting sensitive data.
On mobile devices, adware often hides in third-party apps or exploits vulnerabilities inherent in browsers. Signs of infection include an abnormal increase in data usage, advertisements appearing in unusual places on the screen, and rapid battery drain. On your computer, you may instead notice the presence of new toolbars in your Web browsing program, redirects to unsolicited sites to generate advertising revenue (like theFireball adwarewhich in 2017 infected over 250 million systems worldwide) and, more generally, an inexplicable system slowness.
How to delete unwanted adware
The ease with which it is possible to run into adware gives rise to a spontaneous question at this point: how to remove unwanted adware? To achieve this, you could decide to act through one “manual” removal of the softwarebut this assumes that you are able to precisely pinpoint the offending program. In addition to this, it must be taken into account that, in some cases, these software are designed for automatically reinstall after removal (this is the case of the so-called adware resuscitator or resuscitators). In these cases, the use of ad hoc security tools becomes practically mandatory. Many Antiviruses offer specific features to detect and remove adwareas well as protecting your device from future infections.
And with this we hook onto the concept that Prevention is always better than cure. To avoid a possible adware infection, we suggest you first Download software only from trusted sources (like the Android Play StoretheiOS, iPadOS and macOS App StoreThe Microsoft Store on Windows oh official developer sites who created a certain program). Furthermore, avoid downloading apps of dubious origin and carefully read the authorizations you are accepting, even for software that is technically considered safe. When it comes to computer security, you can never be too careful!
