EdgePremium
Mac users have to worry about a new intrusive PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) named EdgePremium that might be trying to infiltrate their computers stealthily. Like most PUPs aimed at Mac devices, EdgePremium also is capable of acting both as adware and a browser hijacker. Doing so will maximize the revenue it can generate while being present on the user's device.
It is crucial for users to always pay attention when installing applications, even when using reputable sources. An additional and unwanted application may be hiding somewhere in the installation settings, usually under the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' menus as part of a 'bundling' scheme. Another popular method used for spreading PUPs is to inject the application into a fake software installer that pretends to be for a legitimate product.
While EdgePremium's arrival on the system may be sneaky, its actions afterward are are quite obvious. The application will be responsible for delivering annoying and unwanted advertisements as part of an intrusive ad campaign. The generated advertisements could be injected into unrelated websites and may appear as in-text links, banners, pop-ups, etc. Users must not engage with the advertisements carelessly or risk being redirected to dubious and unsafe places. Furthermore, the advertisements could be promoting additional PUPs under various false claims.
Another tell-tale sign of EdgePremium's presence on the system is its effect on the installed Web browsers. Users will notice that their usual homepage, new tab page, and default search engine settings have all been changed to now open an unfamiliar address. Typically, browser hijackers are involved in the promotion of a fake search engine that would otherwise fail to garner any traffic.
Fake engines do not generate results by themselves. They redirect all user searches to a legitimate engine (yahoo, bing, google) or start redirect chains that could move the search query through several dubious engines, ultimately leaving the user with inaccurate and low-quality results.
