Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam (fake) - Free Guide
Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam Removal Guide
What is Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam?
“Keep Your PC Updated With Norton!” is a scam message that tries to trick you into purchasing software
“Keep Your PC Updated With Norton!” is a scam message one could encounter after being redirected from another website while browsing the web. The most likely culprits are usually high-risk places such as those that host pirated software, provide seemingly free services of copyrighted videos, and similar. Alternatively, adware could also be one of the main causes of encounters with phishing websites, as its main goal is to insert ads when users are browsing the web.
Once on the page, users are told that their systems are infected with viruses and that Norton security software must be purchased/subscription renewed in order to remove the said infections. In reality, the “Keep Your PC Updated With Norton!” message is a scam that has nothing to do with the legitimate security vendors and is created by malicious actors who seek to retain revenue from clicks, downloads, and installs.
There is also no guarantee that websites that promote the scan would not lead you to the fake version of Norton security software, which would end up in a real malware infection. Thus, you should not download and install anything offered by this fake alert and instead use reliable security tools for your protection.
| Name | Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam |
| Type | Scam, online fraud, redirect, adware |
| Distribution | Malicious ads, redirects, third-party websites |
| Operation | Shows fake virus scan results and asks users to allegedly update their Norton subscription, which has expired |
| Risks | Installation of potentially unwanted or malicious software, financial losses, personal data disclosure to unknown parties, redirects to other malicious sites |
| Removal | Do not interact with links or download buttons on the scam page. Instead, install SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner anti-malware software to make a legitimate security check |
| Remediation | If you do not clean your browser from cookies and other web data, you see the unwanted ads return, or data continue being tracked. Stop it with FortectIntego |
How scammers mislead users
Advertising revenue is a huge business and, since the internet provides a lot of anonymity, there are plenty of parties that are willing to receive money by tricking and misleading users. In fact, the internet has become the largest platform for all sorts of fraudulent content, as scammers are creating more and more fake content online to scam users in one way or another.
Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam focuses on a very popular technique that shows fake virus scan results and claims that the system has been infected. It imitates the symbols, logos, and other elements used by the security vendor Norton in order to seem legitimate. Here's the whole scheme:
- Right upon entry, users are shown a bar that is filling up quickly
- During this time, alleged malware detection pop-ups are visible
- A few moments later, people are told that their systems are infected with five viruses, which is followed by a message:
Keep Your PC Updated with Norton!
UPDATE:
Protection from potential malware is important.
Keep Your Norton Subscription Updated.
If your PC is not protected, it is at risk for viruses and other malware.
If the “Proceed” button is clicked at the bottom of the pop-up window, users are then redirected to a website where they are offered to download software. While the redirect might lead to the official Norton website, it is not a rule. In some cases, users might be linked to a spoofing website, where malware could be downloaded.
Websites that host the Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam
In order to succeed and profit from the scam scheme, crooks use a variety of fake websites that host fake alerts. Usually, these websites can be found after clicking a fake link on malicious websites – torrents, gambling, X-rated, YouTube converters, and similar content is usually not secure and lead to unwanted redirects.
What you should pay attention to is the URL itself – it often uses “defender,” “security,” “clean,” and similar words that are associated with malware removal, e.g., Clean-your-pc.xyz, Mydefensivesoft.com, or Totaldatasecuritycentr.com.
In other cases, the names of websites have nothing to do with anything and instead are gibberish, for example, Performdevelopedgreatlythefile.vip, or Bluecodemc1.club. Note that, regardless of the website name, the phishing[1] message might also imitate another popular security solutions vendor McAfee.
Your actions are important
Actions you take after encountering a malicious website are vital when dealing with online fraud. Cybercriminals often focus on the element of surprise, when people are more likely to make mistakes and act without thinking – this is the basis of social engineering[2] that is so commonly used by crooks for various malicious reasons.
Most users recognize deception immediately, as security software scans can only be performed by an anti-malware application installed on the system (websites simply can't detect whether or not a device is infected). However, some people might not be aware of this fact, and since Norton is such a well-known brand, they might proceed with the instructions provided.
Thus, it would help if you never interacted with a suspicious website – always check the URL of the page showing you questionable claims, look out for spelling or grammar errors, and be especially cautious about sites that include a timer or sow an excessive number of pop-ups.
Check your system for infections and stop push notifications
While the “results” displayed by the fake alert are always incorrect and have nothing to do with the real state of your computer security, the probability of adware or other malware infection shouldn't be dismissed immediately. Users who are constantly redirected to the same malicious pages, encounter pop-ups, banners, and other types of ads, experience browser settings changes, or see other suspicious symptoms, are likely to be infected.
Since it's sometimes difficult to determine how the malicious program is installed and where all of its components are, we strongly recommend running a scan with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or another powerful anti-malware software. This will ensure that no malware managed to break into your device and is performing damaging actions in the background without being noticed.
After that, remember to fix damaged system components and clean your browsers – FortectIntego can help you with that. Finally, if you have enabled push notifications from a malicious website, you might receive spam via the API[3] feature whenever your browser is operational. You can find details on how to remove these annoying pop-ups below and information on how to look for adware manually if you are up for a challenge.
Getting rid of Keep Your PC Updated With Norton! scam. Follow these steps
Stop browser notifications
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (desktop):
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- Scroll down and click on Advanced.
- Locate 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.
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (Android):
- Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
- Select Notifications.
- Scroll down to the Sites section.
- Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
Remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
- Click on Privacy & Security section.
- Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click the 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.
Remove unwanted notifications from Safari:
- Click on Safari > Preferences…
- Go to the Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
- Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge:
- 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.
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge (Chromium):
- 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.
Remove unwanted notifications from Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right of the window.
- Select Internet options and go to the Privacy tab.
- In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
- Locate web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- 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.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- 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.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- 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)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- 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.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
How to prevent from getting adware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ What is Phishing?. Proofpoint. Security research blog.
- ^ What is Social Engineering? | Techniques & Prevention. IT governance. Cyber security and data privacy risk management solutions.
- ^ API. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.