DominantNetwork

DominantNetwork is a type of application that falls into the category of adware. It has been identified as a member of the AdLoad malware family and is primarily designed to execute intrusive advertisement campaigns.

The World of Adware

Adware, short for advertising-supported software, functions by enabling the display of third-party graphical content on various interfaces. These advertisements can take the form of pop-ups, coupons, banners, overlays, surveys, and more. Unfortunately, the predominant content promoted through these ads often includes online scams, unreliable or harmful software, and sometimes even more malicious malware. What's particularly concerning is that some of these ads, when clicked, have the ability to execute scripts that initiate downloads or installations without obtaining user consent.

Intrusive Advertisements

It's essential to note that any genuine products or services that may appear through these ads are unlikely to be officially endorsed in such a manner. In all likelihood, these promotions are carried out by scammers who exploit affiliate programs to gain illegitimate commissions.

Adware typically tailors its advertising campaigns based on factors like browser or system compatibility, user geolocation, and specific website visits. However, regardless of whether DominantNetwork displays advertisements, its presence on a system poses a significant risk to device and user safety.

DominantNetwork’s Adware Nature

While AdLoad applications often come with browser-hijacking capabilities, we did not observe such functionality in DominantNetwork during our analysis.

Adware is notorious for collecting private information, and DominantNetwork may not be an exception. The data it collects can include URLs visited, viewed webpages, search queries, internet cookies, usernames and passwords, personally identifiable information, and even credit card numbers. This collected data can be sold to third parties or abused for profit.

To sum it up, having software like DominantNetwork on your devices can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Examples of DominantNetwork Adware

Examples of other adware-type apps we have investigated include DefaultBoost, DesktopMapper, and ConnectionProjector. These types of software often appear innocuous and legitimate, enticing users with promises of useful features. However, these features rarely work as advertised, and in most cases, they do not work at all.

It's crucial to remember that even if a piece of software appears to operate as promised, it does not guarantee its legitimacy or safety.

DominantNetwork Installation Methods

So, how did DominantNetwork end up on your computer? It likely got there through a common distribution method known as bundling. This technique involves packaging legitimate program installers with unwanted or malicious additions. Downloading from untrustworthy sources, such as freeware and third-party sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and rushing through installation processes, significantly increase the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into your system.

Furthermore, adware may have "official" promotional webpages and can be endorsed on scam sites. Users may access these pages through redirects caused by websites that use rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs, intrusive ads, spam browser notifications, or already installed adware with browser force-opening capabilities. Intrusive advertisements themselves also contribute to the proliferation of advertising-supported software.

Preventing Adware

To avoid the installation of adware and similar threats, we strongly recommend researching software and downloading it only from official and verified sources. During the installation process, exercise caution by carefully reading terms, exploring available options, using the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of all supplementary apps, extensions, features, and the like.

Additionally, be vigilant while browsing, as fraudulent and dangerous online content often appears legitimate and harmless. For instance, seemingly innocuous intrusive ads can lead to highly questionable websites such as gambling sites, scam promotions, pornography, adult dating sites, and more.

If you find yourself continually encountering such advertisements or redirects, take immediate action. Check your system and promptly remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions or plug-ins. Safely removing DominantNetwork can be accomplished by using an updated anti-malware program designed to detect and eliminate adware threats.