All about Adware

Published by Rajvi Khanjan Shroff, August 21st, 2021

If your computer is moving really slowly, or starts downloading software you didn't ask for and there are ads where there shouldn't be, your computer may be infected with adware. Now, before you start panicking, take a deep breath. Adware is more of a nuisance than something to be seriously concerned about. It's considered to be below malware (meaning it’s less harmful), but it's still something you do not want on your device.

You may be wondering how this ended up on your device in the first place. Maybe you visited a sketchy site that was infected with adware, or you downloaded that free app that looked too good to be true (which it apparently was). The adware can be disguised as a Trojan (which is something that looks real but isn't) or you might actually agree to put adware on your system when you agree to all terms and conditions when installing an app. Once it hijacks your computer, it can track what kind of websites, sell your information to third parties and customize ads and affect your homepage search engine and browser …. which isn’t so awesome.

So here’s the million dollar question: Why would a developer allow their site to be infected with adware? Well, the answer involves money, but not for you dear reader (sorry) but for the developer. Allowing these ads onto their app gives them the money that they are not getting from you because the application is free! It could be that the adware is unwanted by the developer of the website and it got there unintentionally. Ads sometimes are a legitimate part of the website... sometimes, but not always. These days, adware is getting more difficult to remove from a webpage and Macs which used to not be affected at all are beginning to have more problems with adware.

Preventing and getting rid of adware is pretty easy, actually. The best idea is to install a reputable cybersecurity program, such as Malwarebytes onto your device that will monitor it to make sure that there is no adware and, if there is, remove it. On a mobile device you can either turn off the JavaScript on the page, or erase your history and cache as well.

In order to avoid this problem entirely, be sensible. Don’t go on unsecure or illegal websites and don’t download third party apps. Sense, together with a good cybersecurity program, will make your device safe from this pesky nuisance.

Ads are everywhere on the internet. Beware of adware.

Ads are a natural part of our internet experience, but they are not all that innocent. Photo Credit of Burst on Pexels

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References

Adware - What is it & how to remove it? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.malwarebytes.com/adware