What Is A Potentially Unwanted Program?

Date First Published: 27th May 2023

Topic: Cybersecurity

Subtopic: Threats To Systems, Data & Information

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 6/10

Learn more about what a potentially unwanted program is in this article.

A potentially unwanted program, also known as a potentially unwanted application, a PUP, a PUA, or junkware, is a type of program that is not strictly malicious, but may be unwanted for the user. Since users have given their permission for them to be installed, often by being bundled with other installed software, they are not a type of malware. Most of them do not act like traditional malicious programs that damage or corrupt your data and don't pose great risks, but they are almost always worth removing.

PUPs are often much more of an annoyance than a benefit for the end user due to unwanted ads, popups, nag screens, background processes that slow down their computer, unwanted web tracking, etc. Most PUPs are disguised as something useful, like system cleaners, driver updaters, or toolbar extensions, when they are actually of little to no use to end users.

Instead, these types of tools and optimisers may report false positives and use exaggerated alerts and aggressive popups to convince people to pay for the software program. At worst, PUPs may be a form of spyware or try to take control over the user's computer, which can be a great security risk. Once they are installed, they can be difficult to remove and may not have an easy uninstall method. Some PUPs may trigger the installation of other PUPs, making it hard to identify PUPs that have been added by other PUPs.

Signs Of PUPs

Below are 10 signs that you have a PUP installed.

• Excessive intrusive ads or unwanted popups displaying on your computer.
• Unexpected changes to your browser's homepage, settings, or desktop background without your permission.
• Unexpected decline in system performance, including increased freezes, crashes, shutdowns, and blue screen errors.
• Unexpected new bookmarks or toolbars added to your web browser without your permission.
• Your web browser keeps redirecting to scam sites or sites filled with ads that you were not expecting.
• Strange sounds, beeps, and music.
• Lack of free space on your computer.
• Web searches redirect you to sites other than expected.
• You keep receiving fake messages about apps or viruses on your computer.
• Webpages that you frequently visit are not loading properly.

How To Avoid PUPs?

As suggested in the word, PUPs are not something that you would want installed on your computer. There are some ways that you can prevent them. Before installing a software program, always look for custom or advanced download options so you can see exactly what you are installing and untick any additional programs that you don't want on your computer. You might be agreeing to install a PUP, so always check to see if any additional programs are bundled with the software. PUPs can be bundled with legitimate programs, so avoid installing extra programs you have never heard of or don't need.

When installing a software program, it is quite common for people to click Next or Okay without reading the agreement or checking that nothing else is ticked because of impatience, so if you have noticed PUPs that you didn't intend to install on your computer, this might be the cause of it.

Antivirus software can detect and remove PUPs on your computer. Most antiviruses are capable of protecting your computer from PUPs in real-time. For example, Windows Security has reputation-based protection to help protect your computer from potentially unwanted programs as of the May 2020 Windows 10 update.

Not downloading things from websites you don't know can not only help you protect your computer from PUPs. It can help protect your computer from all sorts of malware. If possible, only download software from the official website as some users may redistribute the software with PUPs so that they sneakily install on your computer without you being aware.

Where Did The Term "Potentially Unwanted Program" Come From?

The term "potentially unwanted program" was created by McAfee, an internet security company to avoid labelling programs as malware when users gave their permission to install them. An example of this was when marketing companies didn't want their products to be called spyware when all the necessary information for consent was included in the agreement. The creation of this term has helped users to differentiate between strictly malicious programs and programs that can be safely assumed as unwanted.

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