KeyBar Toolbar

Posted: June 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.

Ranking:	9,610
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	679

First Seen:	June 11, 2013
Last Seen:	October 15, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Marketing material for the KeyBar Toolbar proclaims the KeyBar Toolbar to be a search engine assistant, a good source for weather updates, a Web radio utility and quite a few other things – all of which cheerfully skip past the fact that the KeyBar Toolbar takes over your browser's settings to promote sites of its own choice. These understated negative qualities are regrettably common for Conduit Ltd-created toolbars like KeyBar Toolbar, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers rate the KeyBar Toolbar as a Potentially Unwanted Program that usually should be deleted as a common-sense defense against Web browser problems. With Conduit toolbars having a very long history of trying to prevent their own deletion, you usually will need some form of anti-malware software to be certain of deleting a KeyBar Toolbar permanently and wholly.

KeyBar Toolbar: Striking All the Wrong Notes Once You Install It

The KeyBar Toolbar's marketing efforts, rather than focusing on a specialized set of features, appear to market the KeyBar Toolbar as a one-size-fits-all plugin that can make your Web-browsing life a bit more convenient than usual in all possible respects. While seemingly developed by the 'Key Bar' company, the KeyBar Toolbar actually has been tied to Conduit Ltd, a company with many repeated instances of designing undesired and sometimes-malicious browser plugins. The less dangerous of these, such as KeyBar Toolbar, usually are classified by SpywareRemove.com malware analysts as Potentially Unwanted Programs or PUPs. Alternately, they also may be considered browser hijackers (for taking over control of your browser) or, in some cases, adware (for promoting other sites and advertisements).

The main attributes of concern in KeyBar Toolbars lie in their ability to hijack your homepage and set it to another website, redirect your browser's searches and monitor your basic online actions via cookies. These traits are common to most Conduit-based PUPs regardless of their 'official' features. A list of related browser add-ons SpywareRemove.com malware experts are familiar with from KeyBar Toolbar's family include:

Barring the KeyBar Toolbar from Entry into Your Browser

KeyBar Toolbar often is distributed through unauthorized install packages for reputable programs, such as unofficial Skype installers. Care over which websites you trust for downloads usually will help you to avoid both KeyBar Toolbar and other Conduit-derived PC threats. Since the KeyBar Toolbar often tries to avoid being deleted and does not always have any obvious software to uninstall, you can use anti-malware products for the most convenient and assured way of removing a KeyBar Toolbar infection.

KeyBar Toolbar does reduce your own ability to control your browser and, as a consequence, is a minor threat to your PC's security. If you need to interact with a site promoted by KeyBar Toolbar, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers recommend all due caution – since KeyBar Toolbar and Conduit Ltd have long since proven they have little if any regard for the satisfaction or safety of their user base.

KeyBar Toolbar

Threat Metric

KeyBar Toolbar: Striking All the Wrong Notes Once You Install It

Barring the KeyBar Toolbar from Entry into Your Browser

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