‘Attention – Your Software May Be Out of Date!’ Pop-Up

The 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up distributes a variant of the AirInstaller: a third-party software installer. Even though the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up claims that its software utility will provide versions and patch-related maintenance features for various programs, malware experts have found no such functions from this version of the AirInstaller, which may install adware, browser hijackers, toolbars and other PUPs. Although ignoring the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up's download link should keep your PC from suffering through any AirInstaller-related woes, you should consider using anti-malware software to scan your PC if you see the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-ups occur repeatedly.

The Unforeseen Risks of an Airy Software Installer

The 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up is one of several fraudulent distribution methods cybercrooks are taking advantage of by reaping profits from the payment-per-installation quota of the AirInstaller utility. Getsoftfree.com and Updatersoft.com are two websites that also use similar tactics to install this software, albeit with a different disguise. Whereas those two sites prefer to disguise their download as a generic Download Manager, the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up conceals the AirInstaller as a Software Updater add-on, a supposed Internet Explorer plugin that monitors your software for out-of-date versions.

Although malware researchers encourage updating your software for various security reasons, using the Software Updater to do so only will subject your PC to the typical symptoms of PUPs while not providing any measurable increase in update accessibility or safety. AirInstaller may install various types of third-party products, but specializes in browser add-ons that may load advertisements or hijack your browser's search/homepage settings, both of which are noted as security risks. On the other hand, while the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up uses fraudulent marketing to promote its downloads, there hasn't been any observed abuse of software exploits that could force your PC to accept the automatic download.

Calling Your Attention to the Safest Way of Managing an 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' Pop-Up

Judging by the current distribution metrics of the AirInstaller, the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up is most likely to target PC users in North America, although, of course, all regions of the globe are vulnerable to similar attacks. Since the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up doesn't include any observable exploits to let its software install automatically, a careful PC user who rightfully rejects suspicious downloads shouldn't be significantly threatened by the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up. However, if you see the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up regularly appearing without being linked to specific, appropriate websites, your PC may be compromised by adware or even threats.

An appropriate response to recurring the 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-ups should use anti-malware products with good track records for removing PC threats that target your Web browser. While changing a browser or even reinstalling it may suppress the symptoms that result in an 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up, malware experts discourage such a measure, which doesn't go to the source of the security problem. Nonetheless, education about the proper software to download is just as unavoidable as possessing the right anti-malware tools, and a singular appearance of an 'Attention – Your Software may be out of Date!' pop-up can be brushed off by anyone educated enough to ignore its strategy.