DealTop

DealTop is a browser add-on that delivers advertisements via your Web browser, which DealTop claims to improve your shopping experience. Such programs may not be threatening, but may be installed automatically and may display potentially threatening or unwanted advertisements unintentionally. Since malware researchers continue to see such characteristics in DealTop, like other adware, they advise removing DealTop from any PC where DealTop hasn't installed itself with your complete approval.

The Shopping Deals that Come by Surprise

DealTop is one of an innumerable range of browser add-ons claiming to offer improvements for finding better prices but have limited functions to back up their claims. The Web browsers malware researchers found to be compatible with DealTop may include Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox, although research still is ongoing into its potential installation for alternatives like Safari. Discrepancies in its distribution and installation practices also have led to DealTop's being classified as a Potentially Unwanted Program, or PUP, which is likely to install itself automatically. The most common installation technique confirmed so far is software bundling, which may install DealTop along with unrelated programs, but DealTop also may be installed by threats or from its website.

As adware, DealTop's main features limit themselves to loading new in-browser advertisements in the following formats:

• DealTop may load additional pop-up windows containing third-party advertisements. Most users report of DealTop pop-ups launching automatically with mouse click functions with unrelated Web pages, although they also may appear randomly.
• DealTop also modifies the Web pages your browser loads to host text hyperlinks to new advertisements, which may expand when hovered over.

Although PUPs like DealTop aren't ratable as immediate, intentional threats to the safety of your PC, the advertisements loaded by adware may be sources of browser-based attacks. Advertising exploits malware researchers see in adware products may include threat installers disguised to resemble software updates, fake system scanners and fraudulent contests trying to collect the victim's information.

Topping the Deals from DealTop

While DealTop's website offers generic uninstall instructions, malware researchers often see DealTop installations that may fail to delete themselves entirely. The long term side effects from improperly removed adware may continue to harm your Web-browsing experience and place your PC in danger of advertisement network-based attacks. However, malware researchers discourage uninstalling your Web browser or otherwise suppressing the symptoms of a DealTop installation without conducting its full removal.

Competent and updated anti-adware products should have the tools necessary to identify and delete DealTop, and, with it, remove its advertisements from all installed browsers. Since malware researchers estimate that DealTop's public distribution began in late 2014, any security products with threat databases earlier than that date should be patched. On the other hand, PC users who make sure to avoid sites with software-bundling practices are likely never to see DealTop – or the advertisements that come with DealTop.