Thankfully, the cybersecurity industry is making strides in courtroom battles and in public opinion against software providers whose programs cross the line from slight bother to major asspain. Unfortunately, since most people aren’t paying close attention to what they download, they essentially agree to install the programs without realizing it.Įven more unfortunately, any attempts by security companies to fully block these programs as malware can get legally hairy. Security companies flag these programs as “potentially” unwanted, but the reality is, any sane person would not want this crap on their computer. PUPs also include other borderline malicious programs, such as spyware, browser lockers, dialers, and junkware. How is adware different from PUPs?Īdware is, essentially, a type of potentially unwanted program. This is what makes adware a type of potentially unwanted program, or PUP. Whether you download adware without full knowledge of what you’re getting or whether it hides in the EULA of another software program like a stowaway, it’s behaving in a way that neither you nor the software it latches onto wants. Adware, in contrast, is specifically designed to be a nuisance, sneaking its way onto people’s systems by bundling up with legit programs or disguising itself as something else. When legitimate software applications use online advertising, the ads are typically bundled within the program and designed and displayed in ways that the developer specified-and a good developer knows not to piss off customers with overbearing ads. Why would anyone knowingly install a program that behaves this way? The answer is: They wouldn’t.

Have some toolbars, courtesy of Mindspark adware.

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