Authenticguarding.com ads: what it is and how to remove it
The scammers behind this fraudulent campaign aim to make money through the affiliate program, earning a commission for every subscription purchased. Additionally, the website may also generate pop-up spam and push notifications that mimic security alerts.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Authenticguarding.com ads: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites; deceptive ads; bundled software |
|---|---|
| NAME | Authenticguarding.com |
| TYPE | Push notification spam; adware |
| SYMPTOMS | A page appears seemingly out of nowhere warning users about virus infections; users may start seeing pop-ups that look like security alerts; |
| DANGERS | People may be tricked into providing personal information, downloading potentially unwanted programs, or even malware |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 11 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Authenticguarding.com |
| Type | Push-notification spam site |
| Symptoms | Notification spam from a website |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | authenticguarding.com |
| Ads shown as | Desktop notifications |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Installed on the PC | Nothing; a browser notification permission only |
| First seen | 28 December 2022 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Authenticguarding.com ads dangerous?
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
Authenticguarding.com pretends to warn users about a system infection that does not exist
The scammers behind this fraudulent campaign aim to make money through the affiliate program, earning a commission for every subscription purchased.
Additionally, the website may also generate pop-up spam and push notifications that mimic security alerts. These notifications may be delivered through rogue advertising networks that may lead users to dangerous websites, where they may be prompted to provide personal information, download PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), or even malware. These websites may advertise adult content, fake software deals, giveaways, surveys, and other deceptive offers.
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
How to disable pop-ups?
To stop annoying virus alerts from Authenticguarding.com, you have to block the site permissions that allow it to show you push notifications.
You can do that by following our step-by-step guide:
Google Chrome (desktop):
Google Chrome (Android):
MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
- Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
- Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
- Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
- Select Notifications.
- Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
- Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
- Click on Privacy & Security section.
- Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click Settings button next to it.
- In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
- Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
- Click on Safari > Preferences...
- Go to Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
- Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
- Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
- Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
- Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
- Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
- Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
- Select Site permissions.
- Go to Notifications on the right.
- Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
- Click on More actions and select Block.
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
Clear cookies from your browser
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or device when you visit a website.
They can track your online activity and store information such as your IP address, geolocation, websites visited, links clicked, and purchases made. This data is often used to personalize the user experience, but it can also be sold to advertising networks and other third parties by scammers seeking to profit from it.
Cookies can also be hijacked and used for malicious purposes, which is why it's recommended to clear them regularly. This can be easily done with the help of a maintenance tool like , which can also fix various system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues, especially useful after a virus infection.
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
Scan your machine with anti-malware tools
If you have disabled push notifications but are still experiencing unwanted symptoms such as unexpected redirects, an increase in commercial content like pop-ups and banners, it is possible that your system may be infected with adware. These tools are designed to detect and remove most suspicious apps, ensuring that they are completely removed from your system.
While it is possible to remove PUPs manually, it can be difficult to determine which particular app is causing the unwanted behavior as scammers often disguise them as useful tools. Additionally, manual uninstallation may leave behind traces of the program that could result in the infection being reinstated.
If you prefer not to use security tools and know which program is causing the issue, you can try manually uninstalling it using the following steps:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Authenticguarding.com
- Authenticguarding.com is a fake website designed by scammers to appear as a legitimate security alert from McAfee.
- Its purpose is to deceive people into believing that their system is at risk and redirect them to the official McAfee website.
- Disable push notifications in the browser settings; run a system scan with professional security tools
How Authenticguarding.com ads got into your browser
From our report of Dec 2022 · not reviewed since
To protect yourself from websites like Authenticguarding.com, it's important to only visit pages that you know and trust.
Avoid clicking on random links and ads, even if they appear to offer legitimate products or services. It's also a good idea to choose legitimate streaming platforms over illegal streaming websites, as these sites may have fake "Download" or "Play" buttons that lead to scam sites.
Pages created by crooks often mimic legitimate websites or brands in order to trick people into believing that they are safe to visit. These sites may use various tactics to lure users in, such as offering fake deals, promoting fake products, or claiming to have important information or alerts.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
authenticguarding.com
How to remove Authenticguarding.com ads
How to stop Authenticguarding.com notifications
Do this in every browser you use, and in every profile inside it: each keeps its own list of sites allowed to send notifications.
Nothing has to be uninstalled for the notifications themselves.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove authenticguarding.com from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
authenticguarding.comis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find authenticguarding.com under Allowed to send notifications, open the three-dot menu next to it and pick Remove.Then click Add next to Not allowed to send notifications and type authenticguarding.com, so the site cannot ask a second time. Repeat it in every Chrome profile you use on Windows 11 or Windows 10, since each profile has its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove authenticguarding.com from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
authenticguarding.comfrom the Allowed list, then click Add site next to Not allowed to send notifications and enter it there.Edge is built into both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so check it even if you normally use another browser. If the notifications came with the Edge logo, this is the browser that holds the permission.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove authenticguarding.com from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
authenticguarding.com, click Remove Website and confirm with Save Changes.In versions older than Firefox 152 the same list sits under Privacy & Security, behind a Settings button next to Notifications. Firefox shows these notifications only while it is running, on Windows 11 and Windows 10 alike.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Authenticguarding.com ads
Why do I get notifications from authenticguarding.com when the browser is closed?
Chrome and Edge can keep a small part running in the background so that sites can deliver notifications, and Windows shows them in its notification area. That is why messages from authenticguarding.com keep arriving with no browser window open.
The permission to send them was granted when someone clicked Allow on a prompt from that site, often disguised as a robot check or a video player. Closing the browser does not remove it; only the notification settings do.
Remove authenticguarding.com from the allowed sites and the background messages stop. You can also stop the browser from running in the background in its system settings, but the permission is the real fix.
The authenticguarding.com notification said my PC is infected. Is it true?
No. Notifications from authenticguarding.com are adverts written to look like system messages. A website cannot scan your files, so it has no way to know whether your PC is infected; it shows the same warning to everyone who allowed its notifications. Real Windows Security messages name Windows Security in the bottom line, not a browser and a website.
If you want to be sure, open Windows Security from the Start menu and run a quick scan there. Then remove authenticguarding.com from the browser's notification settings so the fake warnings stop arriving. Do not call any number or buy anything the notification or its page suggests.
Why does Authenticguarding.com show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. Authenticguarding.com is a push-notification spam site, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of desktop notifications.
They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.
Is authenticguarding.com safe to visit?
No. The site authenticguarding.com exists to push visitors towards ads, and the pages it leads to include fake virus warnings, fake updates, prize scams and notification prompts. Visiting it once does not infect an up-to-date PC, but anything you click or download there is a gamble.
Do not enter personal details, do not allow notifications and do not call phone numbers it shows. If it opens by itself, close the tab and check the browser's extensions and notification permissions. Blocking the single domain helps little, because the operators register new names regularly.
Which browser is sending the authenticguarding.com notifications?
Each notification shows the name of the browser and the site in its small print. In the cases we saw, the messages from authenticguarding.com came through Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Permissions are stored per browser and per profile, so removing the site in one browser does not affect another.
If you use several Chrome or Edge profiles, check each one. If you sync the browser with an account, remove the permission while signed in, otherwise another computer may still hold it and keep receiving the same messages.
How do I know the ads come from Authenticguarding.com?
Look for notifications from authenticguarding.com. That is the trace Authenticguarding.com leaves, and it shows up as desktop notifications. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.
A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.
An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?
The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.
If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.
Why didn't my antivirus catch Authenticguarding.com?
Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.
In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.
Did clicking Allow install anything on my PC?
No. Allowing notifications stores a permission in the browser and nothing else. No file is downloaded and no program is added to Windows, which is also why antivirus scans find nothing. The risk comes later, from the notifications themselves: they lead to scam pages, fake updates and phishing forms.
Remove the permission in each browser where you allowed it. If you clicked a notification and downloaded something afterwards, delete that file and run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan.
Will Fortect remove Authenticguarding.com?
No program removes Authenticguarding.com itself, because there is nothing on the PC to remove: the notifications come through a permission saved in the browser, and only the browser's settings take it away, as the steps above show.
What Fortect can do is check the rest of Windows. Its free scan looks for malware, unwanted programs and damaged system files, which is useful if you clicked the ads, downloaded something from the pages they opened, or are not sure what else changed on the PC.
If the scan finds nothing and the notifications stopped after you removed the permission, this problem is solved. Use Microsoft Defender as a second opinion whenever you have downloaded files from pages like these.
Sources
- Makeuseof: Why Should You Avoid Illegal Streaming Sites? (read October 7, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)