Ourcoolblog.com ads (spam) - Free Guide
Ourcoolblog.com ads Removal Guide
What is Ourcoolblog.com ads?
Ourcoolblog.com can trick people into agreeing to receive push notification spam
Ourcoolblog.com uses deception to make people subscribe to notifications
Ourcoolblog.com is a bogus website created by crooks to monetize user activity. It uses social engineering methods to trick people into subscribing to push notifications. It asks people to press the “Allow” button to supposedly continue watching a video. However, there is no other content to explore on the site besides the deceptive message.
Users start getting spammed with annoying pop-ups that can appear even when the browser is closed. Most importantly, crooks may use rogue advertising networks that place ads leading to dangerous websites. People can end up on scam pages that try to trick them into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),[1] and even malware.
NAME | Ourcoolblog.com |
TYPE | Push notification spam; adware |
SYMPTOMS | Pop-up ads start appearing in the corner of the screen sometimes even when the browsing is not in-use |
DISTRIBUTION | Shady websites, deceptive ads, freeware installations |
DANGERS | Pop-ups can contain links leading to dangerous websites where users could get tricked into providing their personal information or downloading PUPs and malware |
ELIMINATION | Go to your browser settings to disable notifications; scanning your system with anti-malware tools is recommended |
FURTHER STEPS | Use FortectIntego to get rid of any remaining damage and clear your browsers completely |
Distribution methods
Pages like Ourcoolblog.com rarely appear in the search results. For people to stumble upon them, they would have to browse through shady sites that are unregulated. For example, illegal streaming sites[2] are full of deceptive ads, and sneaky redirects that open new tabs.
Users can get fooled into thinking that they will be able to watch a movie if they press “Allow.” You should only visit pages that you know and trust. Do not click on random links and ads, even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products or services. Use official streaming platforms – they require only a small monthly fee and people are able to consume as much content as they want.
There is another possibility that the deceptive site appeared automatically without any user input. This could happen if you are infected by adware. It is advertising-supported software that can cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. You should check your system regardless if you think you have it or not because usually, it operates in the background without the users' knowledge.
Ourcoolblog.com might have appeared after browsing through unsafe sites
Disable the intrusive pop-ups
Push notifications are based on a subscription model, so users can enable and disable them manually in the browser settings. If you need help with the process, follow the guide below:
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Protect your browsing privacy
All of the pages that you visit use cookies[3] to track your browsing activities. Generally, this is not a bad thing as it helps websites personalize the user experience, but in some cases, it can cause many issues. If the pages you visit do not have strong security, cookies can be hijacked and used for malicious purposes. Untrustworthy pages can also sell them to advertising networks and other third parties.
That is why it is important to clear your browsers regularly. This can be automated with a maintenance tool like FortectIntego. It can delete all cookies and cache and also fix system damage, errors, registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.
Scan the system for adware
Once you block the notifications, there is still a chance that there is adware hiding in your system. It is a type of PUP that can generate commercial content in the machine without your knowledge or consent. If you are still experiencing an increased amount of commercial content like surveys, banners, and redirects to suspicious pages, we strongly suggest deploying professional security tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes to scan your machine.
They can detect suspicious processes running in your machine and eliminate all the files causing it. What is more, it can prevent such infections in the future by warning you about a dangerous download. Of course, you can remove programs manually, but it can be difficult to identify PUPs as they can be disguised as “handy” tools that you use every day. If you want to perform manual removal, you can follow the instructions posted below for Windows and Mac systems:
Windows 10/8:
- 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.
Windows 7/XP:
- 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.
Mac:
- 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.
How to prevent from getting adware
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. PUPs Explained: What is a “Potentially Unwanted Program”?. Howtogeek. Technology Magazine.
- ^ Victor Poitevin. Illegal streaming: beware of the backlash. Stormshield. Security Monitoring.
- ^ Dusan Vasic. What Are Cookies? The Good and the Bad of Browser Cookies. Dataprot. Cybersecurity Services.