Handle Browser Extension

Users who see offers to install the Handle browser extension for Chrome should be careful. Despite any of the claims they might see, the application has been classified as a PUP and adware. This means that once activated on the user's computer, the application could focus on carrying out various, intrusive actions, instead of providing useful and convenient features. 

Adware applications, such as Handle, could be responsible for the frequent appearance of various advertisements. Users could see numerous banners, pop-ups, notifications, and other advertising materials that could even be added to visited websites. One of the risks associated with having an adware application installed on the device is that the advertisements it shows could promote online tactics, shady adult websites, dubious gaming/betting platforms, etc. Simply interacting with the displayed advertisements could trigger forced redirects that will take users to similarly untrustworthy sites. 

Among the common capabilities observed in PUPs also is data collection. The applications could spy on the browsing activities carried on the device and transmit the obtained data to their operators. The problem is that many PUPs do not stop there. They also could harvest device details (IP address, geolocation, device type, browser type, etc.). Some PUPs are even capable of extracting information from browsers' autofill data. In these cases, users may have their account credentials, banking data, payment details and other sensitive information compromised.