How to remove the notifications/ads delivered by totaldatadefence.com
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of page is totaldatadefence[.]com?
During a routine inspection of untrustworthy websites, our researchers discovered the totaldatadefence[.]com page. It hosts deceptive content, promotes browser notification spam, and redirects visitors to other (likely unreliable/dangerous) sites. Most users enter totaldatadefence[.]com and webpages akin to it through sites that use rogue advertising networks.
Totaldatadefence[.]com overview
When we entered totaldatadefence[.]com, we were presented with a scam we had encountered before. It is noteworthy that the behavior of rogue sites like totaldatadefence[.]com can depend on the visitor's IP address/ geolocation. Hence, what is seen on or through such webpages - can vary.
The scam in question consists of multiple pop-up windows supposedly displayed by the McAfee anti-virus (although it is in no way associated with this content). The windows include a fake anti-virus interface (based on Norton rather than McAfee), system scan, and threat reports. The result is that the visitor is warned of multiple infections present on their device. However, not only is this content fraudulent, but no website is actually capable of performing system scans.
Typically, scams of this kind are designed to endorse untrustworthy and malicious software. More information on this can be found in our article for the "McAfee - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!" scam.
What is more, totaldatadefence[.]com asks visitors to enable its browser notifications. The website will then use the notifications to run intrusive advert campaigns if it achieves this goal. The displayed notifications/advertisements promote scams, untrustworthy/harmful software, and even malware.
Therefore, through pages like totaldatadefence[.]com, users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
Name | Ads by totaldatadefence.com |
Threat Type | Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads |
Detection Names | N/A (VirusTotal) |
Symptoms | Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed. |
Distribution Methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, false claims within visited websites, potentially unwanted applications (adware) |
Damage | Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Browser notification spam in general
We have analyzed thousands of rogue webpages; update-ready[.]com, allowpcprotect[.]com, protectlab[.]xyz and desktopnotificationsnews[.]com are but a few examples.
The browser notifications from these sites push deceptive and malicious material. However, legitimate content can be encountered through them as well. It is noteworthy that it is importable for this promotion to be undertaken or approved by the actual developers. Instead, scammers abuse the affiliate programs of genuine products and employ notification spam to acquire illegitimate commissions.
How did totaldatadefence[.]com gain permission to deliver spam notifications?
Websites cannot display browser notifications without user consent. Therefore, you have likely entered totaldatadefence[.]com at some point and permitted it to deliver these ads. Note that many rogue pages employ deception (e.g., clickbait, fake CAPTCHA, etc.) to trick visitors into enabling their notifications.
How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?
Do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or similar options presented by dubious websites, as that will permit them to deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns via their notifications. We advise ignoring or denying these delivery requests (i.e., pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Should your browser continuously force-open suspicious pages, it might be due to the presence of advertising-supported software (adware). If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance of the totaldatadefence[.]com website (GIF):
Video showing how to eliminate ads delivered by totaldatadefence[.]com using Combo Cleaner:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:
- What is Ads by totaldatadefence.com?
- STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
- STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
- STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
- STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
- STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)
Disable unwanted browser notifications:
Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:
Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:
Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".
In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):
Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".
In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".
In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:
Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".
Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):
Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.
Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)
How to avoid browser notification spam?
Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.
Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by totaldatadefence[.]com in the right lower corner of my desktop?
You have likely visited totaldatadefence[.]com and allowed it to display the browser notifications.
I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?
No, clicking on a notification will not jumpstart any malware download/installation processes. However, this does not make these adverts harmless. The browser notifications delivered by such sites usually push deceptive/malicious content that can cause serious problems (including system infections, financial losses, etc.).
Is totaldatadefence[.]com a virus?
No, totaldatadefence[.]com is not classified as a virus, but it can promote virulent content. Websites of this type endorse scams, unreliable/harmful software, and even malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove totaldatadefence[.]com ads automatically or manual steps are still required?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices and undo all the permissions granted for the totaldatadefence[.]com website. Additionally, it can restrict further access to such sites. Therefore, no extra steps will be necessary.
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