Sw-sustain

Posted: April 18, 2014

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:	7,179
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	4,131

First Seen:	April 18, 2014
Last Seen:	October 12, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Sw-sustain or SW-Sustainer is a Potentially Unwanted Program noted for its suspicious distribution methods, difficulty of deletion and non-beneficial browser changes. As they so often do, malware experts managed to track Sw-sustain's distribution model back to free software bundles that may install Sw-sustain automatically. Since Sw-sustain blocks its own removal through the Windows Control Panel, its classification as a PUP is decidedly warranted, and you should feel no shame in using strong anti-malware or anti-adware solutions to delete Sw-sustain.

The Self-Sustaining Browser Add-On

Sw-sustain may not have the questionable honor of a threat classification, but that is not for lack of displaying self-centered, non-beneficial functions that are of no advantage to its users. As a PUP, Sw-sustain has been frequently tied to unwanted advertising functions and browser hijacks. Although malware experts have seen Sw-sustain issues particularly reoccur for the Chrome browser, other Windows browsers also are believed to be at risk. All the usual characteristics of a Sw-sustain problem may include:

Being redirected to other websites automatically.
Experiencing unusual changes in the settings of your default search engine or homepage. Redirects to fake search engines or search engines that give rigged results are common.
Seeing advertisements via pop-up windows, pop-under windows or injected content (including text hyperlinks).

Sw-sustain also may be installed with multiple other PUPs, each of which may provide their own browser-based issues. However, none of these issues would be especially difficult to remove if it were not for Sw-sustain's default inclusion of anti-deletion 'features' that block its removal through the Control Panel. In general, software with such anti-user features always should be uninstalled, and malware experts especially recommend such a solution in the case of software with PUP-like qualities.

Cutting into Sw-sustain's Abusive Sustainability

Much like an abusive relationship where one partner refuses to let go, Sw-sustain is software that may be considered to provide zero beneficial features and attempts to thwart any efforts at removing Sw-sustain from your browser. Common PC security tools, such as anti-malware and anti-adware scanners, should be able to delete Sw-sustain without much trouble. Malware experts recommend using extensive system-scanning solutions for Sw-sustain, which may be installed with numerous other PUPs that also should be removed, even when they do not show visible program entries.

Sw-sustain installations may be connected to the unsafe downloads of risky and unsafe applications. Although malware researchers find most PUP-installing bundles detectable through the proper security solutions, there rarely is a good cause to access a site that would distribute these bundles, in the first place. Avoidance of software piracy sites, illegal movie-streaming domains and other, equally illegal download sources should be the norm, particularly since PUPs such as Sw-sustain are some of the most harmless software that's installed through them.

Sw-sustain

Threat Metric

The Self-Sustaining Browser Add-On

Cutting into Sw-sustain's Abusive Sustainability

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