Malicious Programs
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_/04/2020.
Introduction
You would expect that software product with no names to be the ones often bundled in unwanted programs and adware. Still, several top software companies are also involved with such distributions. There are several programs available on the internet, which will take the functionality of your computer to the next level for free. Media players, antivirus programs, and word processors are readily available on the internet for little to no cost at all. However, such free programs are the ones that have a hidden price.
Many software distributors and creators bundle their updaters and installers with potentially unwanted programs (PUP’s), which can include browser toolbars, dubious PC utilities, adware, and browser hijackers (Guevara, 2018). The likes of which have the ability to change browser search engines and homepages without immediate user permission. Standard downloads of PUP’s are found from free or trial software bundles. They are straightforward for a user to miss during the installation process of the software, and are almost hard to remove, and can sometimes be harmful to the computer.
For instance, from personal experience, when I had some issues with my personal laptop having issues detecting external hardware such as USB disks, or my phone, I found out that the issue and solution involved me having to install the relevant device drivers for that model. However, since I had no idea as to which driver was most suitable, I resorted to using driver installer software, one which had some unintended consequences. The installation process leads to the software installing both antivirus and browser programs, and making them the default solutions to be used by my machine.
These potentially unwanted programs are often premeditated to deceive unsuspecting users into consenting their installation. Where this is achieved by either highly emphasizing on downloading the “software + PUP” over just the “software” itself download link on a specific website, or by having the installation process pre-check the “I have consented to this software” box. The bundling of the potentially unwanted programs into other pieces of software may be viewed or considered as unethical, but never is it illegal.
This is mainly because the PUP’s creators have already paid other software developers to help them distribute their products in a bid to increase their customer base. It is also another easy and simple strategy for the software makers of the free software bundles to earn extra money. Therefore, the software developers, in this case, are not to blame in any means, neither is the user (Urban, 2018). However, it is highly recommended that users be extra cautious while installing any free or paid software bundle on their personal workstations, ensuring that there does not exist any pre-checked installation boxes for any additional and unwanted software programs.
Having no prior malicious intents with including the installation of the potentially unwanted programs, neither is it illegal, with regards to human values and dignity, this should be viewed as an immoral act. For not all users are tech savvies or pay close attention during the installation process only to find themselves having unwanted programs on their systems, which are, in return, tedious to remove. If you do find your self having PUP’s on your system, there are several software solutions that can assist in removing them, such as CCleaner and Anti-Malware programs.
References
Urban, T., Tatang, D., Holz, T., & Pohlmann, N. (2018, September). Towards understanding the privacy implications of adware and potentially unwanted programs. In European Symposium on Research in Computer Security (pp. 449-469). Springer, Cham.
Guevara, R. R. (2018). Tools for the Detection and Analysis of Potentially Unwanted Programs (Doctoral dissertation, Ph. D. dissertation, ETSI Informatica).