Adware.bProtect.D

Posted: September 11, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	9

First Seen:	September 11, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Adware.bProtect.D is a fraudulent version of the BrowserProtect add-on (an anti-hijacking add-on) that displays advertisements in your browser. Unlike the legitimate versions of BrowserProtect, Adware.bProtect.D installs itself and often is distributed along with Potentially Unwanted Programs or, ironically, some types of browser hijackers. Despite its using the brand name of a reputable and useful program, Adware.bProtect.D always should be uninstalled since Adware.bProtect.D includes no advantages for your browser whatsoever. Any issues with completely removing Adware.bProtect.D can be avoided by using appropriate anti-malware software during the process, which should be sufficient for reverting all browser changes made by Adware.bProtect.D and any related browser add-ons.

The Browser Protector with Its Functions in Reverse

Another addition to the general category of scamware products that market themselves with stolen brand names, Adware.bProtect.D is a fake version of the otherwise-reputable BrowserProtection add-on, an add-on that helps protect your browser against any unwanted modifications. Unlike the real version of its software, Adware.bProtect.D often is itself, installed along with programs that may perform the browser hijacks that Adware.bProtect.D claims to block. Some of the most common symptoms SpywareRemove.com malware experts have observed include homepage hijacks and search redirects, although Adware.bProtect.D also is guilty of displaying advertisements in your browser that can't be disabled.

Some of the Potentially Unwanted Programs (or PUPs) and other PC threats that malware experts have noted to distribute Adware.bProtect.D infections include the Babylon Toolbar, Delta-search.com hijackers and various Mindspark-brand toolbars like the Zwinky Toolbar. These applications are marketed as helpful additions to your Web-browsing experience but usually have limited features and may make undesirable modifications to your browser. As the advertising-based half of these attacks, Adware.bProtect.D may be considered the potentially more troubling of the two programs installed – since Adware.bProtect.D theoretically may display malicious advertising content, such as phishing lures or drive-by-downloads.

Real Browser Protection from a Phony BrowserProtect

Since Adware.bProtect.D usually uses PUPs that are consensually installed to install its own software, being strict about avoiding browser add-ons of a disreputable nature is the best defense against any Adware.bProtect.D infection. SpywareRemove.com malware research team particularly recommends that you avoid websites that are known for distributing suspicious or unwanted software and urge you always to double-check the source of any new program before installing it.

Removing Adware.bProtect.D only partially may cause many unnecessary browser changes to stay on your computer, and this removal process also may be complicated by the almost-certain presence of at least one additional PC threat. However, typical anti-malware scans should be sufficient for detecting and deleting all software related to Adware.bProtect.D with a minimum of time or effort expended.

In most cases, Adware.bProtect.D installs itself to multiple browsers and is fully compatible with such Web browsers as Chrome, Firefox and IE. Non-Windows platforms have yet to subjected to Adware.bProtect.D attacks, although SpywareRemove.com malware researchers warn that similar types of adware have been seen on other operating systems.

Adware.bProtect.D

Threat Metric

The Browser Protector with Its Functions in Reverse

Real Browser Protection from a Phony BrowserProtect

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