PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A

Posted: August 19, 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:	1/10
Infected PCs:	225

First Seen:	August 19, 2013
Last Seen:	July 12, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A is a browser add-on that redirects your Web browser to Conduit-affiliated websites while also claiming to provide anonymous Web-searching features. Like other Conduit toolbars, SpywareRemove.com malware experts can find few redeemable features about PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A and recommend removing PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A from your browser to ensure your own ability to control which sites you visit and to optimize your Web-browsing performance. PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A can affect most browsers and has a history of being installed without your permission – a drive-by-download attack that also may infect your PC with other forms of malicious software more dangerous than PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A.

The Ways PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A 'Protects' You from Choosing How to Search the Web

PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A claims to provide privacy-enhancing features along with a motley assortment of other minor browser-based advantages for your PC, although all of its supposed benefits appear to be either fraudulent or, at best, exaggerated. PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A's main working function appears to be the same as that of other Conduit-based toolbars: redirecting your browser's searches over to arbitrary websites that are affiliated with the Conduit Ltd company. In most cases, Conduit websites are not dangerous to your browser, but they do have histories of displaying questionable search results with links that aren't always relevant.

PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A disguise as a helpful add-on that occasionally is an impromptu browser hijacker is identical to that of other Conduit toolbars like the Delta Search Toolbar, the WiseConvert Community Toolbar, the Internet Helper, the Mediaget Toolbar, the FLV Runner Toolbar, the IsoBuster Toolbar and the KeyBar Toolbar. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers always encourage the reasonably prompt removal of Potentially Unwanted Programs from PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A's family since they tend to update themselves without any permission, take up excessive system resources and hamper your Web browser's performance.

Why Protecting Your PC from PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A Isn't Optional

The installation methods for PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A infections usually are non-consensual and will install PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A without any signs of the process – at least, until you begin seeing PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A's redirects to Conduit.com and related sites. Since these drive-by-download attacks also may install PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A with separate types of malware, such as rogue security products or worms, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers especially encourage the use of anti-malware tools in deleting PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A and any PC threats related to its intrusion.

Despite that possibility of other security issues related to PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A, by itself PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A is not categorized as a high-level PC threat and should not be considered dangerous in the same sense as spyware or a backdoor Trojan. PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A and other Potentially Unwanted Programs usually do not provide any advantages for your computer but also do not steal personal information, attack your computer's security or perform any other highly malicious functions that would warrant any panic on your part.
PUP.Optional.SearchProtect.A is functional in multiple browsers, including Chrome and IE, and shouldn't be considered a normal add-on to be uninstalled from one particular Web browser.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following URL's were detected:

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