What is Adware?
Adware is any software application that displays advertising banners, pop-ups, or other unwanted advertising content on your computer. It is intrusive software that can insert advertising graphics directly on a device, collect marketing data, or redirect online users to advertising websites without consent. While not all Adware is malicious, it is generally not only annoying but can also greatly impact the performance of devices and networks. In worst case scenarios, faulty programming of Adware can cause security vulnerabilities for victim networks. Adware is often intentionally designed to be difficult to remove for a system. Common forms of Adware include Browser Hijackers and bulky toolbars.
How to Recognize This Threat: It is not hard to recognize adware on your system in most cases, as you’ll likely notice the presence of unwanted ads either upon startup or while browsing in addition to speed issues. It generally comes as an unwanted download attached to software accessed on a questionable website or can come through an email attachment.
How to Prevent This Threat: Avoid questionable downloads and attachments. And equip your network with robust endpoint security that can ID, block, and remove unwanted adware from your systems.