Are Adware Attacks Dangerous? Here's How To Overcome It

Adware is very annoying and has the potential to steal our personal data and information. (photo: Elisa Ventur/unsplash)

JAKARTA – For mobile and computer users, they are often forced to see advertisements that appear continuously on the screen. Even when turned off, this ad actually displays other ads, so it is very annoying for users.

This is one form of Adware that may have infected our device. Adware that collects data with different permissions than Trojan spyware programs, may collect your information without your consent.

These programs can operate silently so there is a risk of consuming too much battery power on your device. Kaspersky said, adware that collects data secretly is classified as dangerous because it is similar to Trojan-spy.

Malicious adware can hijack and mislead browsers, track activity, serve unwanted advertisements, and even infect your device with worms, Trojans, spyware, and other widespread spam malware.

According to Panda Security, Joker, Malware is used to spy on phones, steal information, clone SMS, contact lists and other personal information, which is then remotely forwarded to hackers.

The following signs may indicate an adware infection.

1. New toolbars are installed automatically in the browser

2. Changes to browser homepage

3. Change to default search engine

4. Uncertain browser

5. Browser switching

6. Aggressive advertising

7. Flashing pop-ups

8. Multiple tabs open automatically

9. The back button is non-responsive

10. Play audio and video automatically

11. Unauthorized subscription payments

12. Software or applications that you don't install

13. System lag

14. System crash (crash)

If you notice 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 the adware and get your device back:

1. List all suspicious programs

2. Check for signs of adware infection

3. Cross-check suspicious programs against any online adware list.

4. In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features to start uninstalling suspicious software

5. On older versions, go to Start > Control Panel > Uninstall to remove suspicious programs.

6. Reboot the system (with or without prompt)

7. Run a scan with a tool like Windows Defender

8. Use specialized adware removal tools such as TotalAV, BullGuard, AdwCleaner, SpyBot- Search and Destroy.

How to Remove Adware From Google Chrome (Windows + Mac)

1. Open Chrome

2. Click More Settings on the top right

3. Click Advanced at the bottom

4. Under Reset and clean, select Clean computer

5. Click Find

6. Click Remove unwanted software

7. Reboot (reboot) if prompted