What is Junkware?
Junkware is a somewhat all-encompassing term that covers unwanted or unnecessary programs on your computer. Sometimes referred to as bloatware or Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs), junkware is not malicious, but may add vulnerabilities to a system through which malware can enter. They can also slow performance of a system by using memory and processing space.
How to Recognize This Threat: Types of junkware may be adware, remote administration tools, and vulnerability scanners to name a few. Some of these applications may come with a computer out-of-the-box, while others may be included with downloads of programs the user intentionally installs.
How to Prevent This Threat: Administrators can set policies requiring privileges for users to load software on their computers, which can keep users from adding junkware to systems on your network. If junkware is already present or finds its way onto a computer through some other fashion, endpoint security solutions can detect and report many types of junkware to help clean up the system.