Is AVG an Antivirus or a PUP?
The following article is from Ghacks. We think you’ll find it interesting. Free antiviruses try to monetize their products – sometimes in ways that resemble malware or PUPs. When you consider your security, sometimes you get what you pay for… and in the case of AVG you paid nothing and get a whole lot you don’t need and probably don’t want.
AVG putting millions of Chrome users at risk
Security company AVG, well known for its free and commercial security products that offer a wide range of security related safeguards and services, has put millions of Chrome users at risk recently by breaking Chrome security in a fundamental way in one of its extensions for the web browser.
AVG, like many other security companies offering free products, is using different monetization strategies to earn revenue from its free offerings.
One part of the equation are getting customers to upgrade to paid versions of AVG and for a while , that was the only way things worked for companies like AVG.
The free version works fine on its own but is being used to advertise the paid version that is offering advanced features such as anti-spam or an enhanced firewall on top of that.
Security companies started to add other revenue streams to their free offerings, and one of the most prominent one in recent time involved the creation of browser extensions and the manipulation of the browser’s default search engine, home page and new tab page that go along with it.
Customers who install AVG software on their PC get a prompt in the end to safeguard their browsers. A click on ok in the interface installs AVG Web TuneUp in compatible browsers with minimal user interaction.
The extension has more than 8 million users according to the Chrome Web Store (according to Google’s own statistics nearly nine million).
Doing so changes the home page, new tab page and default search provider in the Chrome and Firefox web browser if installed on the system.
The extension that gets installed requests eight permissions including the permission to “read and change all data on all websites”, “mange downloads”, “communicate with cooperating native applications”, “managing apps, extensions and themes”, and changing home page, search settings and start page to a custom AVG search page.
Chrome notices the changes and will prompt users offering to restore settings to their previous values if the changes made by the extension were not intended.
Quite a few issues arise from installing the extension, for instance that it changes the startup setting to “open a specific page” ignoring the users choice (for instance to continue the last session).
If that is not bad enough, it is quite difficult to modify changed settings without disabling the extension. If you check the Chrome settings after installation and activation of AVG Web TuneUp, you will notice that you cannot modify home page, start parameters or search providers anymore…
Read the rest of this interesting and informative article here.
At one time, the free AVG antivirus used to be a great program that really helped protect computer users. Once AVG entered into becoming a “complete” security system, things changed, and not for the better. AVG, it seems, became more interested in making money than protecting computers. I used AVG antivirus for years, but I refused to upgrade to their complete security suite as they expanded. They should have stuck with just the antivirus only, as that is the one thing they had right, for a time. I am so glad I moved over to Emisisoft, as I feel more confident knowing that I am protected against whatever might come my way.
Well shoot, if folks can’t keep there eyes open and read things they get into trouble. Very easy to DECLINE any of the extra things that some outfits trumpet and try and make the whole AVG antivirus look bad, they must have a reason foart-tauchen@ their actions.
Well Big Art, we think people shouldn’t have to be careful when installing a program, ESPECIALLY ONE that is supposed to provide them with antivirus, antimalware and security – one that should be above shenanigans when installing.
So, would you also say that if company cloaks bad terms for consumers in fine print they know most people won’t read, that’s OK too? It’s the person’s fault for not reading. Is this the kind of world you want to live in? It may be the kind of world we have, but that does not make it right.
One of the good, free anti-virus programs for many years which, due to greed is no longer to be trusted.
When thousands/millions of people, the average, non-techie users who trusted and used AVG for many years, were not aware, nor realised it necessary to read that AVG were ready to start bundling the program with PUPs, and it is impossible to decline something of which the user is unaware, because of those past many years of trust.
Well, we should shoot each individual who has the audacity to make negative comments about ‘folks’ , many who are elderly. Common sense states that if ‘folks’ are using a computer their eyes MUST be open, and more times than not, AVG and other like organisations camouflage the PUPs and other unwanted garbage, to catch the less computer savvy users in their net of money-grabbing and other deceitful tactics, no trumpeting whatsoever, sneaky, like cockroaches.
AVG is near the bottom of the ladder of honesty, efficiency and security to keep users’ safe, but a massive percentage are unaware that they are NOT safe, and its thanks to TC & EB/Cloudeight who keep a constant watch on the shenanigans AVG and the like and advise members accordingly, and are never ill-mannered in explaining to members what to be aware of when downloading programs.
Dear JoninOz: I think you said it all — and quite eloquently. Thank you!
Wish more people knew about Cloudeight and it’s great couple who do this research. Pass on the good word about them. Thanks again TC & EB
Hi Darcy and T G
I was wanting to purchase a programme from Cloudeight but all I got were invitations to join Cloudeight. I have been in cloud eight for many many years.
How do I re join?
We don’t have any invitations to join Cloudeight. Period. we have Boosters, but no invitations are ever sent. We have our newsletters, but we never send invitations…we simple have links where people can sign-up for our free newsletters. So we never send invitations to join anything EVER. So I have no idea what you’re talking about.