Adware is a type of malware that is installed on your computer with no knowledge. It will then track your activities to discover what you are searching for and then show ads that are relevant to the search results. This can result in many unwelcome ads that could be very distracting and slow down your computer. It could also pose serious security, privacy and health threats to your health and security. Adware can be used to collect data from you and then sell it to marketers.
The company behind Adaware is Lavasoft that has been in operation for many years and has been developing legitimate antivirus software solutions. The program is easy to install and doesn’t require you to remove your existing antivirus. Once it’s installed, it can run a rapid custom or full scan from the main dashboard and perform product updates.
There are three plans available with Adaware: free, Pro and Total. The free plan provides real-time protection and download protection but does not include ad blocking. The Pro version is more comprehensive and comes with unlimited tech support, email and web protection as well as a robust firewall. It also comes with an electronic lock, parental control, and a file shredder.
In AV-Comparatives’ Real-World Security Tests, Ad-aware could block 95.4% of malware, but only 97% during the zero-day tests for detection. While these results might seem good, they’re not impressive when compared to the leaders in the industry. Both the Pro and Total versions of this antivirus are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.