Adware

Adware (from "advertising software") automatically displays ads — pop-ups, banners, or redirected searches — and funds itself through them. It's often installed unnoticed alongside free software. Adware is usually more annoying than directly harmful, but it often tracks your browsing and can lead to dubious or dangerous sites. Aggressive variants are considered potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). An antivirus ✕ An antivirus is a program that detects, blocks and removes malicious software. Modern ones combine known signatures with behavior analysis. More in the glossary → program detects and removes them. More in the best antivirus comparison.