Defender Adware

What is Defender?

Defender is a deceptive application identical to Pro Flip, Enhance Pro (and a number of other applications). By offering shopping coupons that provide 'huge discounts on various e-shops', Defender attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. In fact, this app is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and adware.

There are three main reasons for these negative associations: 1) stealth installation without consent; 2) display of intrusive online advertisements, and; 3) tracking of users' Internet browsing activity.

Following infiltration, Defender employs a "virtual layer" to generate pop-up, coupon, banner, and other intrusive ads. The virtual layer is a tool that enables placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, displayed ads commonly conceal underlying content, significantly diminishing the web browsing experience.

The ads might redirect to malicious websites and even accidental clicks can result in high-risk adware or malware infections. As well as displaying ads, Defender continually records IP addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, and various other information relating to Internet browsing activity.

The data might contain personal details that Defender's developers share with third parties - people who generate revenue by misusing private data. Therefore, having an information-tracking app installed on your computer can result in serious privacy issues or even identity theft. We strongly advise you to uninstall Defender adware immediately.

Research shows that all adware-type applications have identical behavior. By offering various 'useful features', potentially unwanted adware-type programs attempt to trick users to install, however, the only purpose of Defender and other similar apps is to generate revenue for the developers.

Rather than providing any value for regular users, these apps continually deliver intrusive online advertisements (via the "Pay Per Click" [PPC] advertising model) and track various information (which is later sold to third parties).

How did Defender install on my computer?

Defender is free for anyone to download on its official website, however, developers also proliferate this adware by employing a deceptive marketing method called "bundling".

Therefore, most users install this PUP inadvertently, without their consent, since developers hide bundled programs within "Custom" or "Advanced" settings of the download/installation processes. Skipping this section often leads to inadvertent installation of Defender or other similar PUPs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent system infiltration by PUPs, be very cautious during the download and installation processes. Carefully observe each step using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and decline offers to download/install additional applications. The key to computer safety is caution.

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Quick menu:

• What is Defender?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Defender application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Defender adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Defender ads from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove 'Ads by Defender' from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove Defender extension from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Defender adware removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for "Defender", select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program that causes Defender ads, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove Defender adware from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for "Defender", select this entry and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by defender, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Defender (Verified)", select this entry and click the trash can icon.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by defender, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions", in the opened window, remove "Defender".

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with ads by defender removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by defender, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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