Fishy Follow Up To PUPs - Adware Isn't Always Down To You
advises Peter Clarke of PC PAL
In my January article I reported on the increased number of calls I was receiving for a problem I've written about previously - PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Several of my customers have asked me to solve issues such as a sudden slowing of their computer, their system taking ages to load their browser (eg Internet Explorer) and once it has loaded they are bombarded with adverts.
Usually a PUP is a program that a user agrees to download, even though they often don’t realise it as it appears in the ‘small print’ related to a program they do want.
However, Action Fraud and the BBC have reported on a new breed that may have nothing to do with what you are downloading. 'Superfish' is an adware program that was pre installed on new Lenovo computers and laptops for months and has been found to be a potential security risk. It inserts adverts into web pages such as Google search results. In order to do this it cracks the legitimate security for that site and as a consequence leaves you vulnerable to hackers who could collect your data even though it may look like the site is still secure as you still may see the familiar padlock alongside the web address.
Lenovo has responded to customer complaints by making available a patch which can be downloaded to remove Superfish and address the remaining security issue - beware, it is not enough to just uninstall the program.
If you need some help with this or want to discuss it further don’t hesitate to call me.
