Malware is a definition for malicious software. Basically, it is any kind of a program or a script that have intentions to access your computer in unauthorised way and collect your personal information, gain control over your system, display advertising or redirect you to websites with questionable reputation. There is a thin line between malware and legitimate software and that line is called PUP (potentially unwanted program). While it\'s clear what is legitimate software and what is malware, definition of PUP can be confusing.

In regard to distribution methods, malware can be of 4 kinds - installed by hackers or other malware (other malware), installed due to various vulnerabilities (worms), attached to legitimate programs (viruses) or installed by user himself while pretending to be something else (trojans).

Even though all malware is aiming to make money one way or another, strategies to reach the goal can vary a lot. There are several main groups:

  • Adware, such as popups or hijackers aim to make money by displaying advertisements. Browser hijackers belong to this generic group too
  • Spyware is either selling or using your private information - it\'s common for banking trojans and keyloggers.
  • Probably the most threatening type of malware - scareware is trying to make money by forcing users to pay directly. For instance, ransomware hijack files and demands a ransom to be paid in order to unlock them or rogue antivirus which tricks users to pay for services that are not actually legitimate.
  • Other types like Crypto miners are using your PC resources or sell their services for other computer parasite makers.

‘Your codec version is too old!’

‘Your codec version is too old’ alert is one of the symptoms which should warn you about virus activity on your PC. To convince PC users that their machines really have problems with codecs, this new category of malwares where Home Codec Pack is one of the members has also been noticed to disable media … Continued

“$1000 Walmart Gift Card Winner” pop-up

Walmart is one of the biggest businesses in United States, operating a multitude of hypermarkets, discount department stores and grocery shops. It might be associated with other similarly running companies. However, it most certainly is not linked with the “$1000 Walmart Gift Card Winner” pop-up. Do not believe the shady statements that you have been … Continued

“Add Extension to Leave” pop-up

Carelessness while surfing the Internet can lead to you being swallowed by a wave of malicious scripts or executables. “Add Extension to Leave” pop-up is not a genuine or legitimate offer to install a browser extension, especially when this action is enforced in a particularly shallow manner. IT specialists are not indicating any necessity to … Continued

“Call Apple Support” Scam

“Call Apple Support” notification or pop-up advertisement might appear on your screen while you are browsing the internet. However, you should not follow instructions that are displayed there – it’s an obvious scam to lure some money from naive users. Official Apple support would never ask you to contact them immediately and they have publicly … Continued

“Error: 0x8007042C” tech scam

“Error: 0x8007042C” technical support scam is a message, stating that a FireWall breach has been detected. Therefore, Windows Firewall status is disabled. Many Windows users have indicated to be bothered by this rogue notification. We have also spotted some similar fake notifications, like “This User Is Disabled”  pop-up. The new message claims that the reason for … Continued

“Error 0x80072ee7” Tech Scam

Warnings that say that you have to call a phone number to fix “Error 0x80072ee7” are fake. They’re tech support scams – nothing but malicious attempts to steal your money and infect your computer with malware. There is a real error called “0x80072ee7” – Windows might display it in relation to app updates. However, webpages … Continued

“Microsoft Error: Unknown System Failure” Tech Scam

“Microsoft Error: Unknown System Failure” tech support scam is an alarming message that takes its form from a bizarre website of Msoft.com-msoft435.info. It pretends to belong to the Microsoft Official Support team and that the pop-up is displayed for the sake of offering assistance. A phone number 888-576-1517 is explained to connect concerned Internet visitors … Continued

“Notice of Imposition of Fine” virus

“Notice of Imposition of Fine” is supposed to serve as an informative message to Internet users that they have went beyond the bounds of established rules. The report suggests that a recipient has been found guilty of having material that roughly breaks the intellectual property rights and other activity punishable by law. Even though the … Continued

“The needed font wasn’t found” scam

“The needed font wasn’t found” scam is a fraudulent message, stating that a web page users are trying to reach is displayed incorrectly. The issue is explained to have occurred because “Chrome Font Pack” is obsolete. In order to fix the problem, the pop-up states that people have to install the “Enhanced Search Engine”. In … Continued

“This PC Has Been Blocked” virus

Are you unable to access your computer device because a message from Microsoft is in the way? A capitalized phrase “This PC Has Been Blocked” is not coming from honorable security technicians: this statement is made by vicious scammers. In the presented blue-screen, the reason or locking the device is identified to be violations of … Continued

“This User Is Disabled” Tech Support Scam

One way to describe the arrival of “This User Is Disabled” lock-screen is to point out the improbability of the incident. Viruses have little interest in forewarning people before an attack. Its like setting up a trap and then telling the victim to watch out for it. “This User Is Disabled” lock-screen will guarantee that … Continued

“Windows Firewall Warning Alert” Tech Scam

“Windows Firewall Warning Alert” is a tech support scam. It is a message that appears online and pretends to come from certified Microsoft technicians. The phone numbers featured in this message belong to scammers and if you call them, you will be connected with cybercriminals why will try to get your personal information or convince … Continued

“Your PayPal Account Is On Temporary Hold” phishing scam

“Your PayPal Account Is On Temporary Hold” is a phishing scam disguised as a warning from Paypal. The message delivered by this spoof website tries to trick you to contact scammers who would lure your passwords and other private information from you. Falling for this scam is potentially very dangerous — PayPal is used by … Continued

0000 ransomware virus

Not so long ago we informed our readers about dangerous ransomware infection called CryptoMix. This 0000 ransomware infection is nothing new – it’s just updated version of CryptoMix. Why it is dubbed with this unusual name, 0000? Thats all because of an extension added by this ransomware, it’s .0000. You might already know that ransomware … Continued

“0010 SYSTEM FAILURE 0010” Ransomware

“SYSTEM FAILURE” is one name for the new cryptovirus which targets PC users. This virus locks user-created files (like photos and documents) and then presents you with an alarmist message (that vaguely looks like Windows 7’s blue screen error) and includes words like “IMMINENT SHUTDOWN” and “SYSTEM FAILURE“. It’s designed to scare people into acting hastily … Continued

007 Anti-Spyware

007 Anti-Spyware is a corrupt security program that makes a promise to clean your computer from various threats. Do not be mis-lead by the name of this Bond-alike. The problem is, its report of these problems is highly exaggerated and false. The scanner 007 Anti Spyware uses is inefficient and knock-off of other poor and … Continued

0day Ransomware

0day is a Dharma/CrySiS ransomware and quite a dangerous virus. It usually infects computers through an exposed remote desktop connection and can potentially cost you all of your files and, possibly, a lot of money. 0day, discovered by , is a virus incredibly similar to Harma, NWA, and other ransomware. They behave the same way, … Continued

0fficial.info Mac Virus Warnings

0fficial.info (not “Official.info”) is a slightly renewed version of the “Your Mac OS X is infected (4) by viruses” scam that’s been appearing to Mac users in the last few weeks. This warning is alarmist, unnecessarily scary, and totally fake. 0fficial.info is designed to spread a fake antivirus program that shows bad scan results and charges … Continued

1 Click PDF Malware

1 Click PDF is an unwanted extension promoted by means of several tricky methods. You may download 1 Click PDF extension directly from the Chrome Web Store, but it is quite unlikely that this will be your personal decision. Nevertheless, even if you consider doing so, make sure you carefully read this article. You will … Continued

“1 TRILLION Google searches” Scam

“1 TRILLION Google searches” is a scam created to trick people to subscribe to reward sites. Those who see the “1 TRILLION Google searches” pop-up are promised a $1000 gift card if they complete a short 4-question survey. Those who fall for the scam lose money to fraudsters and leak their personal information, which could be … Continued

1000-dollar.cash

1000-dollar.cash pop-up tries to mislead you with absolutely faulty statements. The message indicates that you simply need to click on the “Allow” button to get your 1000$ of cash. Many people obviously realize that it is a typical scam, whereas some users think that nothing bad would happen simply as a result of clicking on … Continued

$1000 Visa Gift Card Scam

If you have received “$1000 Visa Gift Card” notification, or just came across an advertisement online, claiming that you entitled to get free $100 Visa gift card – don’t think twice, it’s definitely a scam and you should not follow that path. By employing various , cybercriminals are constantly discovering new methods to earn some … Continued

100sofRecipes Hijacker

100sofRecipes (fill name – The Best Recipes by 100sofRecipes) is a browser add-on that’s not very well-liked by antivirus programs (). That’s because 100sofRecipes is a browser hijacker, a browser add-on whose main goal is to control how the user can search the internet. Any recipe-related functionality is secondary. In short about 100sofRecipes: Type of … Continued

123Movies Ads and Redirects

123Movies are websites that allow people to watch movies for free. Unfortunately, they’re full bad ads that could be dangerous if you’re not careful. Hijackers that cause ad spam, scam subscriptions, malware and potentially unwanted programs are promoted by the 123Movies sites. We’ve written a few posts about threats that happened to spread on 123Movies, among … Continued

123rede.com virus

123rede.com virus is a browser hijacker that mainly attacks computers located in Brazil. It reminds of two very well known hijackers – jogostempo.com and gamegogle.com. If you have noticed it on your Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, you should remove 123rede.com virus from there as soon as possible. This articles covers the mains … Continued

123Vidz

123Vidz is definitely not an application you would want to keep installed on your computer. Recent researches revealed that it should be listed as an adware so once inside of your computer it will display various ads on all of your web browsers. Those ads are not only annoying, but malicious as well, so we suggest … Continued

12kotov.ru virus

12kotov.ru is a Russian domain that has incorporated many facilities in it. As soon as you visit it, the layout of the webpage does instantly give you the chills and a strong, intuitive sense of this site’s unreliability. The page appears functional with currency rates, daily horoscopes, weather forecasts and a news feed. However, when … Continued

1337x.to Ads and Malware

1337x.to is a website that makes it easier to find and download torrents. It can be used for pirating, but not all the files on it are stolen. A bigger problem with 1337x.to is that it shows ads that are sometimes unavoidable and lead to unsafe sites. It is important to be careful of 1337x.to … Continued

16Start.com virus

16Start.com virus is a browser hijacker that can be installed to random computers when users are downloading various freeware. It can come bundled with free music players, video recorders, PDF creators and many other applications. As soon as it gets inside the system, it makes some changes in your Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google … Continued

1ClickDownloader

1ClickDownloader is a freeware that was made for downloading any type of files without an external client. It is the main product of a company from Cyprus, stating that files will be downloaded fast, secure and in one click. One can get this toolbar by visiting the site 1clickdownloader.com. Even though it has a label … Continued

1Music-online.me Ad Spam

You might have seen some pop-ups labeled with “1Music-online.me”. These are ads that are sent as browser notifications from the site 1Music-online.me. This looks like an adware infection, but it’s much less serious – you only need to go into your browser settings and block all notifications from 1Music-online.me. Sites like 1Music-online.me are able to … Continued

1SaleADay

1SaleADay is listed as an adware and a PUP (potentially unwanted application) but it can also be listed as a browser hijacker because this browser add-on can change some certain settings of your web browser, such as home page or your default search engine. Once installed, it will display tons of ads on your web … Continued

1startpage.com virus

1startpage.com virus is a browser hijacker that attacks Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. It replaces your homepage and default search provider no matter what were your preferences before. The program is added without asking your permission and for this reason it is classified as potentially unwanted application. 1startpage.com virus is usually installed together … Continued

1stserp.com browser hijacker

1stserp.com is a browser virus, that finds its way to the victim‘s computer and installs as a browser add-on feature, which allows it to make changes in settings without any permission, causing the modified homepage, search engine and content the user sees when surfing the net. 1stserp.com virus is most prevalent among Russian speaking users … Continued

“2018 Annual Visitor Survey” scam

“2018 Annual Visitor Survey” or “Mozilla Firefox Opinion poll” scam is a fake survey, promising to reward users with gift cards, coupons and other amazing deals. Many online surfers are asking whether this message is legit and whether they have a real chance of winning laptops, iPhones and other pricy goods. However, we have to … Continued

2020 Opinion Survey Pop-ups

2020 Opinion Survey is a type of low-quality advertisement campaign that promises free prizes but never delivers. Indeed, 2020 Opinion Survey is quite misleading with its advertisement and can result in someone paying for a product which they thought they were getting for free. Versions of the 30-second Opinion Survey have existed for years and … Continued

2048 – Mega Pack of Games

2048 – Mega Pack of Games is a browser extension for Chrome and Chromium browsers. It promises to give you games to play in your browser, however, it does come with some problems. 2048 – Mega Pack of Games gets access to data that it should not need and it opens web pages to show … Continued

22Apple

22Apple is a browser hijacker that gets access to computer systems through different programs that you download from the Internet. The program modifies settings of your browser, changing your homepage to 22Apple.com and default search engine, as well as causing some other alterations. It’s not that difficult to avoid getting such programs on your system. … Continued

22find.com redirect

22find.com is a browser hijacker that targets Internet Explorer, Google Chrome of Mozilla Firefox browsers. It reaches systems through spam email attachments or comes bundled with some free software. The program gets installed without your consent. Soon after the installation, you will notice that your homepage was changed to 22find.com and when you open a … Continued

24/7 PC Guard Support

24/7 PC Guard Support is a fake virus removal service that seeks to get money from random users by providing fake services. It’s a program that displays a bogus pop up on the targeted computer claiming that your computer is in high risk because of malware infections and offering to purchase 24/7 PC Support services … Continued

247vidz

247vidz might look like useful tool at first sight, but it is just another malicious application that can infect your computer. If you have noticed advertisements on your web browsers labeled with a slogan “Ads by 247vidz” or “Brought to you by 247vidz”, your computer is definitely infected and you should take care of that right now.   … Continued

24Stream browser virus

24Stream is a hijacker virus, that can compromise your Mozilla or Chrome browsers if you carelessly download the malicious extension. It may not seem dangerous at first since it promotes itself as a movie search engine, but wait until it actually gets in, and the real malevolent behavior will become evident. This browser hijacker is … Continued

24×7 Help

24×7 Help is a PC support that claims to solve your computer issues anytime via hourly charge remote support. It is distributed as a bundle together with various questionable software and for this reason it is not recommended to use it. Computer users usually don’t even know about its infiltration until they see the notification offering … Continued

PortalMore

PortalMore is yet another free application that is listed as an adware and a PUP (potentially unwanted program) due to its malicious attributes. It is defined as an application that should enhance your web browsing by providing you with tools to search the web easier and compare prices from various websites when shopping online. However, … Continued

292news.biz Redirect Virus

292news.biz pop-up is a fake Human Verification alert. The trick is that by forcing you to fulfill the misleading guidelines 292news.biz actually attempts to hijack your browser with intrusive web push notifications. As a result, your browser will start randomly redirecting you to the wide range of third-party websites promoted by several advertising companies through … Continued

2conv.com Ads

2conv.com is an online video downloader. It’s free to use, supported by advertisements. Unfortunately, the ads that 2conv.com shows can be incredibly aggressive and intrusive. They might start showing for users without their consent. And some of 2conv.com’s ads are unsafe and should be avoided. Even though 2conv.com itself is not malicious, you should be very careful … Continued

2infoblog.net virus

2infoblog.net is yet another infection that can attack your system. Even though it is targeted to the Russian market, anyone can get infected, regardless the location. It is not difficult to indicate whether your computer is infected with 2infoblog.net or not because usually this virus changes homepage to www.2infoblog.net on all of your web browsers, … Continued

2k19cry File-locker

2k19cry ([email protected]) is the type of computer malware that is very fast and very destructive. It can make your files inaccessible by using encryption on them. Once your own files have been locked away from you, the 2k19cry virus displays ransom notes telling you to urgently contact the responsible criminals so that you can pay … Continued

30tab.com virus

30tab.com virus fits, without a doubt, in the malware category of browser hijackers. However, besides pursuing the main objective of hijackers (occupying browsers’ preferences), there are more curious aspects of this rogue search engine. First of all, its interface looks similar to Mysearch24.com. From these evident similarities, we can implicate that both of these browser … Continued

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