Iconomize

Posted: June 2, 2015

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.

Ranking:	17,181
Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	54

First Seen:	June 2, 2015
Last Seen:	July 20, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Iconomize is a Potentially Unwanted Program that you may view under multiple names, and usually marketed as a desktop shortcut installer. Although Iconomize doesn't include any threatening functions, malware researchers have connected a range of adverse side effects to Iconomize installations, including worsened browser performance. Deleting Iconomize and other PUPs can keep your browser safe from further issues caused by third parties, such as unwanted contact with any Iconomize-affiliated websites.

Iconomize: Making Problems Along with Icons

Almost universally, PUPs or Potentially Unwanted Programs market their primary functions as advantageous to their users, despite providing few, if any, real features. Iconomize's website first was registered in 2008, but malware experts noted complaints about its distribution and installation practices as far from that time as four years later, in 2012. Iconomize software still is in active distribution, despite its age, with the expected installation methods including bundle installers and other, non-consensual download exploits.

Iconomize software, such as its Amazon Icon Installers, provide desktop icon creation and management, which could allow you to link to your favorite sites easily. However, those features are available to users of most OSes by default, and Iconomize also includes the additional, unmarketed 'feature' of hijacking your Web searches. Current versions of Iconomize may redirect their users to Iconomize's personal Facebook page and do so automatically after all Web searches through popular search engines. Some expected misconfigurations of Iconomize also may generate automatic pop-ups for the same Web page once Windows restarts.

Formats of browsers malware experts found affected by Iconomize during their research may include Chrome and Internet Explorer. In some incidents, either of these browsers also has exhibited poor loading times, which may be traceable to Iconomize monitoring your Web activities or its injecting unwanted content (such as advertisements) into your Web pages.

An Economical End to Iconomize

There are very few reasons to allow a third-party program to redirect your browser to websites of its choice, and malware researchers find no compelling reasons to avoid removing Iconomize expediently. Some Iconomize installations, albeit a minority, also may coincide with other, installed PUPs, including Conduit toolbars that offer disadvantages independent from this article's topic. Nonetheless, most anti-malware and anti-adware tools with updated threat definitions should experience few difficulties in identifying or removing any Iconomize-associated software.

Although Iconomize advertises itself as nothing more than a desktop assistant, its assistance is of questionable value for even the most illiterate of PC users. If you're competent enough to download and install a new program, chances are high that you're also experienced enough to create a new desktop shortcut. Acquiring 'help' from a PUP like Iconomize is more likely to harm your Web-browsing experience than it is to improve your desktop experience.

Iconomize still is in active distribution via bundle utilities as of 2015.

Iconomize

Threat Metric

Iconomize: Making Problems Along with Icons

An Economical End to Iconomize

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