What are the Different Types of PUPs and PUAs?
Here are some common types of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) and Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) that infiltrate your digital devices:
Adware
Adware is one of the most common types of adware that shows unwanted advertisements on computers, often in the form of pop-ups, banners, and notifications. These nagging ads slow down the system speed and use too much internet bandwidth to run these malicious activities.
Browser Toolbars
Additional toolbars become attached to the web browser that make changes to the browser settings to manipulate the default search engine to do various malicious activities such as collecting browsing data, downloading unwanted programs, and changing the internal settings.
System Optimization Tools
These are tools that promise to keep your computers, laptops, and other important devices clean of junk files. A user annoyed with the junk files cached and temporary files on his devices often becomes attracted to these apps and downloads them on his device. However, when he downloads these files into his system, they deliver no such service as promised in their online manifesto.
File Sharing Programs
These are other programs users often download on their PCs to share data from one device to another. These devices are one of the most potential PUPs and PUAs that infect your device with adware and malicious programs.
Bundled Software
These unwanted programs attach themselves to other software and enter your system when you download and install one on your device.
Rogue Software
These are illegitimate programs that mimic and behave like legitimate ones. One of the most common examples is security software that mimics to provide security to your device, but in reality, it offers no protection to the devices and networks.
Cryptojacking Scripts
These are software that infiltrates into a system and uses all the resources of a computer to mine cryptocurrency without the expressed permission of users. These activities significantly reduce the PC performance.
How do PUA and PUP Enter Into Your System?
PUAs and PUPs often enter your system bundled with freeware, downloads, malis, and text messages. When you click the links or download buttons, you are taken to the main pages on different websites. These pages have download links that are already attached with more download links. When you click on these links, these files will be downloaded to your system. But along with these downloads, you get bundled unwanted programs. These programs can also use emails, text messages, and active links to enter your device.
PUAs and PUPs also play a key role in tampering and modifying third-party apps running on your PC. These programs change the system settings to run undercover operations without you knowing, such as automatically downloading the apps on the system and changing the default settings. As soon as unwanted downloads take place on your system, different ADs will run on your system. Due to this, you are engulfed in a wave of notifications, ads, and marketing content. This deluge can overwhelm your browsing experience and make everything fragmented and uneven. Due to all this hubbub, concentrating on your work becomes quite difficult, and you want to get rid of the lingering effect of these unwanted programs.
How to Prevent PUP & PUA?
You can prevent PUP and PUA from downloading on your computer by employing safety measures and preventative tips. You have to stay alert while browsing the internet and downloading your apps and programs from it. For that, you have to use only safe and protected channels and platforms to obtain your software. In addition to this, you have to use these important safety tips to prevent PUP and PUA from entering your PC.
Use Authorized Platforms
Using authorized platforms and online sites to download software and programs is one of the best ways to keep unwanted software away from your digital devices. PUA or PUP commonly enters your devices when you visit an unauthorized and third-party platform to download your software and programs. Third-party websites offering free downloads also provide a source for downloading malicious and unwanted applications on your devices. You can avoid online tragedy simply by following a recommended and express method to download your online software and programs.
Check the Permissions
When you download a new software or program and install it on your system, it asks you for a lot of permissions. You need to check these permissions to identify unnecessary access to your sensitive data and online activities. In most cases, there is no need to provide all the permissions and access to the important areas on your PC. You can deny them and allow only necessary zones without which the app cannot perform its normal tasks. These permissions are designed to infiltrate freeware and unwanted apps on your PC. Hence, whenever you come across such permission requests, make sure to avoid them as soon as possible. It is highly important to keep your PC safe from potential online viruses.
Avoid Free Downloads
You will come across lots of free download offers on the internet, allowing you to download important programs and software. These downloads could include OTT platforms, OTT, and utility applications to do different types of work. You must avoid these free downloads to prevent PUP and PUA from entering your digital devices. These are only click baits laid by the black hats that infect your computers and networks as soon as you click on them. These free-to-download files are tampered with by the malicious programs that enter your devices and start wreaking havoc. As a result of this, you lose sensitive data and become incapable of working on your system seamlessly.
Advanced Installation
Some apps offer unusual installation options when they are on your computer. You will come across options like quick installation, one-click installation, and advanced installation. When you come across these types of phrases and options when installing software or programs, you should proceed with caution. It can be a trap that can trick the user into downloading malicious programs. In such conditions, always utilize the appropriate option to install and set up the program on your system, which is an advanced installation option. Avoid other downloading options coming your way.
Do Some Online Research
You will see online promotions for apps and programs promising to optimize your PC performance and enhance your internet speed. Do not fall prey to these false promises. If you intend to download any such app on your system, research online and confirm whether the facts are true or false. Do not follow the prompts blindly. Once you have confirmed that the concerned software offers the services it promises, proceed with your downloads. If you find anything fishy, then avoid it because it can be a PUA or PUP.
Beware of Deceptive Practices
Black hats use deceptive practices to trick users into taking reckless actions that they would have avoided if things had come randomly in front of them. These tricks are designed to exploit human psychology and provoke them to take harmful actions. Users become incapable of escaping the trap. They proceed to take further steps and it leads them to harmful situations. One has to recognize these deceptive patterns and avoid becoming prey to these plots. Search for information online and proceed when everything is under control.
Fake Credibility Indicators
Watch out for fake credibility indicators that look real but are actually just copies of the original ones. The same is the case with the certifications, authenticity badges, and seals of approvals. Black hat designs and put up such fake seals on the sites to depict the brand as safe, trustworthy, and encouraging. People often take these indicators for real and follow the prompts to proceed with the relevant activities such as downloading, shopping, booking, etc. Once they complete the process, they find out it is fake and end up being spammed. Hence, you mustn’t go for the credibility indicators as soon as you see them on the sites.
Uncheck The Pre Filled Boxes
There are situations when you will see pre-filled checkboxes when placing an order, online shopping, and booking any service. These pre-filled boxes automatically choose additional offers, downloads, consents, and payments. When you do not pay attention to these points, you will end up choosing products and services that you never wanted. As a result, you pay more amounts or get additional apps or programs on your PC. In such a situation, when you download a product or application, you will get additional PUP and PUA bundled with it. Thus, you must uncheck pre-filled boxes when doing online activities.
Use Advanced Antivirus Software
In addition to using safety tips and security practices mentioned in this write-up, you should use robust antivirus software on your PC. It will block unwanted ads, programs, and malicious software that are hogging your system and causing low performance. It will remove existing potentially unwanted programs and apps from your computer, laptops, tabs, etc. You will get complete freedom from PUP and PUAs. In addition to this, antivirus software keeps your devices secure from cyber attacks and online viruses that enter your device system using internet connections.
