Pop-ups

Search Maven is an adware-type program that enhances online-shopping by adding various features. The application employs algorithms to display exclusive offers, coupons, and other content based on users' shopping habits. On the first hand, the program is absolutely legitimate and indeed improves your browsing experience by generating better and cheaper deals from other shops compared to rivals. Of course, it can save a lot of time searching for the same products on multiple platforms in favor of a more satisfying price. Basically, It collects the deals and combines them into a structured window. Despite all of this useful functionality, Search Maven can promote dubious ads that redirect users to questionable or malicious domains. These manipulations can push inadvertent infections and put your data under risk of getting hijacked by cybercriminals.

Traffic Junky is a legitimate advertising network that is used by website holders for displaying ads and generating profit. However, if your browser is cluttered with dubious ads without your consent, then more likely it is because adware infected your system and modified certain settings. Most extortionists abuse legitimate networks by inserting malicious banners that contain redirects to dangerous domains, especially those running executable scripts to penetrate computers. They bundle customized software into freeware that plagues your browser with multiple ads, surveys, pop-ups, and other intrusive content. If you think that adware-type does not endanger your privacy, then you are totally wrong. Besides spreading deceptive advertisements, adware-type programs can lead to serious privacy issues since they are often capable of collecting personal data (e.g. credentials, IP-addresses, geolocations, passwords) and transferring them to cybercriminals.

RelevantKnowledge is a rogue application categorized as adware. It is promoted as an "online market research community consisting of over 2 million members worldwide, which provides insight into how its members interact with the Internet”. RelevantKnowledge ostensibly improves browsing by displaying more relevant banners basing on users' preferences. Although this service may seem useful, it is designed to collect anonymous browsing data and sell it to cybercriminals. When RelevantKnowledge is installed, it instantly changes browser settings in order to impose a multitude of ads displayed upon the content of pages. Such ads are more likely to contain redirects to adult websites, fake flash player updaters, freeware, and other malicious pages.

Goodgame Empire is a legitimate videogame designed by GoodGamesStudios 1.0. However, if it sneaked into the system without your consent, then more likely it is adware attempting to steal your personal data and cause multiple other issues. After installation, it adds a videogame icon on your desktop that redirects users to http://empire.goodgamestudios.com/?w=312735. Thereafter, you can start playing an online game simply by typing your nickname and password which is a great maneuver to distract users from adware's main activity. Note that potentially unwanted programs like adware disturb user experience by displaying both browser and on-screen banners, coupons, and other types of advertisements. This is why we recommend removing Goodgame Empire if it appeared on your computer without your permission.

Pdfconverterguru.com is considered to be a mixture of both adware and browser hijacker that causes an absolute calamity around your browser. Initially, Pdfconverterguru.com stands for a legitimate host that offers you to install a browser-based extension, called File Conversion Now, that provides quick links to the most popular file converters and updated search. Unfortunately, besides the aforementioned, It also installs special scripts that generate suspicious advertisements and banners across the web. Moreover, it is capable of initiating multiple redirects to different websites on its own which means that your data may be exposed to third-parties figures that can exploit it for revenue purposes.

According to its name, SmartWebSearch is supposedly meant to provide smarter searching tools that will enhance the browsing experience. Although, it is a browser hijacker that targets Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari browsers located on Mac systems. Being categorized as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program), SmartWebSearch alters the browser settings touching the homepage appearance. The program will, therefore, add a couple of shortcuts to quickly access the most popular platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Besides that, SmartWebSearch migrates default search engine to weknow.ac, searchmine.net, chumsearch.com, and other dubious engines. Whilst these changes may seem useful, browser hijackers are often designed to earn money by gathering browser-related data like passwords, browsing history, geolocations, and IP-addresses that are sold to cybercriminals.

Web Zoom is a potentially unwanted program categorized as adware. Such programs cause absolute clutter around your browser by displaying various types of advertisements. Whilst the initial purpose is to improve browsing by generating ostensibly useful content based on user's habits, the reality looks totally different. Banners and coupons promoted by Web Zoom may contain hidden links that, once clicked, redirect users to malicious websites that run executable scripts or force you to do something. Advertisements shown by Web Zoom can be called: "Ads by Web Zoom", "Powered by Web Zoom", "Brought to you by Web Zoom".

AphroditeResults (AphroditeTechResults) is a type of virus that targets Macintosh users by changing browser settings. Systems infected with such a program experience a notification saying that Google Chrome has blocked an extension called AphroditeResults (or AphroditeTechResults) which tries to enable itself in order to alter the homepage and switch your search engine to "search.logicalmodule.com". Usually, people install these extensions unknowingly because of an unwanted program installed on the PC. Such symptoms are similar to browser hijackers that are meant to ostensibly improve browsing. However, they are purposely created to gather personal data (e.g. passwords, history, IP-addresses, geolocations) and deliver it to cybercriminals for revenue purposes. Furthermore, such infiltrations can display questionable ads that hover upon pages and contain malicious redirects. Removing the extension from the browser may not be enough because the program will instantly reinstall it.