Adware can ruin your browsing experience by bombarding you with irrelevant and intrusive pop-ups that block content, flash intermittently, open new windows abruptly, and autoplay audio or video.
Like YouTube’s non-skippable in-stream ads, adware can get in the way.
In this article, you will learn what is adware, types of adware, how adware works, how to identify adware activity, adware removal, and how to prevent adware attacks.
What Is Adware?
Adware is a blend of advertising and software. It is software designed to auto-generate ad revenue for its developers with or without your knowledge. They often come bundled with most software or apps.
Developers are required to make full disclosure about this, but majority of people accept software terms of service without reading them.
Thankfully, not all adware is badware. Some are perfectly safe, legal, and ethical.
However, some developers or hackers introduce malicious adware that can potentially harm you or your devices.
You can also contract adware by downloading software or apps from third-party platforms, or by clicking on malicious online ads and links.
So, How Does Adware Work?
With legitimate adware (1-0-2), you opt-in to receive personalized ads.
![](https://thebetterparent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/beware-adware-types-adware-1a.jpg)
With PUA on the other hand (3-0-4), you don’t opt-in but still receive unwanted ads anyway.
Types of Adware
There are two main types of adware:
Legitimate Adware
Legitimate adware requires your consent, usually in exchange for an offer. This allows developers to continue to offer freemium software.
You also get to decide how much of your personal information you want to disclose so advertisers can send you personalised ads.
Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA)
By contrast, PUAs bypass you. They are secretly bundled and stealthily deployed to steal your personal information in order to spam you with unwanted and potentially malicious ads.
These badware often become backdoors for more dangerous malware. According to Avast Threat Lab, between October and December 2019, adware was responsible for 72% of all mobile malware.
Some Examples of Adware
window[‘gallery_1’] = new Swiper(‘#swipper-1’, {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
spaceBetween: 20,
slidesPerView: 1,
centeredSlides: true,
preventClicks: false,
observer: true,
observeParents: true,
loop: false,
keyboard: {
enabled: true
},
// If we need pagination
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
},
navigation: {
nextEl: ‘.swiper-button-next’,
prevEl: ‘.swiper-button-prev’,
},
});
var images = document.getElementsByClassName(“gallery-1-images”);
for (var i = 0; i How Dangerous Is Malicious Adware?
Malicious adware can hijack and misdirect browsers, track activity, serve unwanted ads, and even infect your devices with worms, Trojans, spyware, and other widespread spam malware.
According to Panda Security, the Joker Malware was used to spy on phones, steal information, clone SMS, contact lists, and other personal information, which were then remotely relayed to hackers.
Below is a table showing different types of malware, their M.O., and real-world examples:
![](https://thebetterparent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/adware-types-and-M-O.jpg)
Common Signs of an Adware Attack
The following signs can point to adware infection.
- New toolbars auto-installed in-browser
- Changes to browser homepage
- Changes to default search engine
- Erratic browser
- Browser redirects
- Aggressive advertising
- Flashing pop-ups
- Multiple auto-opening tabs
- Non-responsive back button
- Autoplaying audio and video
- Unauthorized subscription payments
- Software or apps you didn’t install
- System lag
- System crash
If you’ve noticed any or many of these, here’s what to do.
How to Remove Adware From Your Windows Device
Here’s how to get rid of adware and get back your devices:
- Make a list of all suspicious programs
- Check for signs of adware infection
- Cross-check suspicious programs against any online list of adware.
- On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features to begin uninstalling suspicious software
- On older versions, open Start > Control Panel > Uninstall to remove suspicious programs
- Reboot system (with or without prompt)
- Run a scan with a tool like Windows Defender
- Use specialized adware removal tools like
How to Remove Adware From Google Chrome (Windows + Mac)
- Go to Chrome
- Click More Settings at the top right
- Click Advanced at the bottom
- Under Reset and clean up, select Clean up computer
- Click Find
- Click Remove unwanted software
- Reboot if asked to
7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Malicious Adware
1. Become Adware-Aware
Familiarize yourself with adware and keep abreast of the latest cybersecurity threats and trends in order to stay one step ahead of new adware.
Learn what adware is, the types of adware, how adware works, how to prevent adware, and how to remove adware. This will help you to protect yourself and your devices from malicious adware.
2. Use Mobile Antivirus
Since 2017, mobile devices (excluding tablets) have accounted for over 50 percent of web traffic, according to Statista, but are you using a mobile antivirus?
Below is a table showing the distribution of new mobile malware worldwide by type (2019).
![](https://thebetterparent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/share-of-new-mobile-threat.jpg)
Adware constituted 21.81 percent of emerging mobile threats. A good mobile antivirus can scan your device for malware, flag suspicious sites, block spam, wipe your phone, help you to locate a stolen or missing phone, etc.
3. Wait, Don’t Click… Yet
You should exercise caution with suspicious links, especially in unsolicited emails. One click is enough to deploy malware, including adware.
Hover your mouse pointer over each link and hold. If a different URL displays, you could be looking at a malicious link.
Also, check the “From” and “To” fields, subject line, email body, and signature for clues. Cybercriminals usually include malicious links in emails, send from fake or cloned email addresses, bcc multiple recipients, misspell and commit grammatical blunders.
4. Think Before You Download Apps
Read the app ratings and reviews. You should only download software, apps, or extensions from trusted sites or first-party app stores.
Some developers hide PUA disclosure in Custom or Advanced settings during installation, knowing 77 percent of people skip straight to Recommended. Wherever possible, read the fine print. Also, review app permissions before you install. Only grant normal permissions as only a handful of apps require dangerous permissions.
For instance, the 1-Click PDF is supposedly a file converter, but is in fact, adware (PUA). It changes your browser settings, feeds you with ads, and collects information. If installed, it can slow your computer down, send pop-ups, and redirect you to shady websites.
5. Spell Check App Names
Just because you see an app in the Play Store doesn’t mean it’s safe. After the Joker Malware incident, Google removed 17 apps which contained the spyware.
Similarly, most cybercriminals clone original apps to fool you into downloading the fake, thereby infecting your devices and stealing your personal information.
See that the app name is correctly spelled, letter by letter. For instance, here’s what you see when you search for Zuma and Flight Simulator in the Play Store:
window[‘gallery_2’] = new Swiper(‘#swipper-2’, {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
spaceBetween: 20,
slidesPerView: 1,
centeredSlides: true,
preventClicks: false,
observer: true,
observeParents: true,
loop: false,
keyboard: {
enabled: true
},
// If we need pagination
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
},
navigation: {
nextEl: ‘.swiper-button-next’,
prevEl: ‘.swiper-button-prev’,
},
});
var images = document.getElementsByClassName(“gallery-2-images”);
for (var i = 0; i Sometimes it can be difficult to tell them apart. In that case, you should visit the company website and follow their official download link to download the app from the app store.
6. Watch Out for Fake Ads
![](https://thebetterparent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/5-billionth-search-malware.png)
One of the easiest ways to contract (additional) adware is through ads. Most online ads, banners, coupons, etc, are too good to be true. They’re simply click-bait.
If you click on ads from adware, you will likely get more PUA. You could be asked to spin a wheel to win an iPhone, told you’ve made the 5 billionth search, or that you’ve won some contest you never entered.
These are all suspicious. If you see an outrageous ad, always run a search to see if others have flagged it. This can save you a lot of adware trouble.
7. Use Ad Blockers
One of the best ways to prevent adware is by using ad blockers. With ad blockers, you can keep annoying ads and pop-ups at bay. This will help you to enjoy a better browsing experience.
Take the following steps to stop annoying ads on Google.
How to Stop Ads on Google
- Go to Google
- Open Settings
- Scroll down, tap Google
- Tap Ads
- Switch on Opt out of Ads Personalization, or Opt-out of interest-based ads
By combining adware know-how, mobile antivirus, and ad-blockers, you can drastically reduce your risk of exposure to malicious adware infections.
Understand and Stay Safe From Adware
Adware, especially PUA, can make your browsing experience a nightmare, plus potentially expose you to more invasive cyberattacks.
Follow the steps outlined in this article to learn what adware is, types of adware, and how to identify and remove them before they do harm.