Adware, Pornware and Riskware

Behaviours in the Adware, Pornware, and Riskware subclasses cover programs that are developed and distributed by legitimate companies. Some of the programs can be used for legitimate purposes – by system administrators, for example. However, some of these programs include functions that, under certain conditions, can pose a threat to computer users.

For example, it is common practice for system administrators to install remote administration programs on users’ computers so they can resolve any problems that arise on the remote computer. But when the same program is installed illegally on a computer by a malicious user, s/he has full control over the remote computer and use it as s/he wishes.

In many cases, antivirus solutions cannot determine whether or not a program poses a threat without input from the user.

Kaspersky Lab products provide users with the option to make an independent decision on how to react to this type of program. Kaspersky Lab products offer the option to detect these programs – or not – as the user prefers. When default settings are used, Kaspersky Lab antivirus products do not detect Adware, Spyware, or Pornware.

If detected programs in this class are known to the user and s/he is 100% sure that they are not harming data (for example, if s/he purchased the programs and s/he is familiar with their functions), then s/he can either disable the option to detect them, or he can add similar programs to a list of exceptions. Once this is done, Kaspersky Anti-Virus will not detect these programs.

If for any reason the user suspects that a program detected by antivirus databases is posing a threat (for example, if s/he did not install the program on the computer and does not know where it came from or if s/he has begun to doubt that the program is safe after having read a description of the program on our website), then Kaspersky Anti-Virus will help the user get rid of the program in question. Whatever the case, the user is the one to decide what to do.

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