Adware is software that shows unwanted advertising on a device, often after someone installed a free program that bundled the extra piece.
The ads appear in the browser, in pop up windows, or as a new homepage that the person did not choose.
How it works
A parent installs a free game for a child, and the installer also adds a browser add on that injects coupons and search ads into every page.
The computer becomes slow, and shopping pages show offers that do not come from the shop the family trusts.
Some adware only annoys, while some also watches which sites are visited and sells that trail.
A bank page covered with unexpected overlays can also trick a person into clicking a fake warning that leads away from the real site.
Concrete examples
- A home laptop starts opening coupon windows after a free video player is installed from a download site.
- A classroom computer shows a new search page that students did not select, and the school homepage is replaced.
- A browser on a shop terminal inserts extra ads into the supplier catalog the buyer uses each morning.
Protective measures
- Install free programs only from the maker's own site, and decline any extra offer the installer presents.
- Remove browser add ons that the user does not recognize, and reset the homepage to the one your household or office chose.
- Use a standard account for daily work so an installer cannot change the whole machine without an administrator.
- Rebuild a shared shop terminal from a clean image if you cannot tell which add on is injecting the ads.
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