PUP.Internet

Posted by Lisa Blanc on February 5, 2016

What is PUP.Internet?

Now here is an interesting name for a web browser, it is simply called Internet, so please mind this silly name while we try to provide you with information about it. We suggest removing it since it falls into the category of potentially unwanted programs. It was released by a company known for producing software of questionable legitimacy, and we believe that this browser is questionable as well. It is not malicious but you probably will not want to use it any longer after reading this short description we have prepared based on the research information by our security analysts. So, without further ado, let us get started. test test test

Where does Potentially unwanted program Internet come from?

Potentially unwanted program Internet was developed by a company called Clara-Labs. This software-developing company is known to us since we have written about its other product released back in 2015 called ShieldPlus which is also a web browser. Like its counterpart, this new browser is based on the Chromium engine developed by Google. Thus, both of these potentially unwanted browsers look exactly like Google Chrome, but they are worlds apart when it comes to reliability and security.

To our knowledge, Potentially unwanted program Internet does not have its dedicated distribution website, so we suspect that it may be disseminated using some other technique. It is quite likely, however, that this browser comes bundled with other software (possibly deemed potentially unwanted as well) and put up for download on shady free software distributing sites. Also, we cannot rule out the possibility of its installer being promoted by third-party adware-type programs. Not much else can be said about its origins and dissemination methods, so let us move on to its functionality.

What does Potentially unwanted program Internet do?

We have tested Potentially unwanted program Internet and have come to the conclusion that it functions more or less like all other Chromium-based browsers. It looks the same as Google Chrome, and its shortcut icon can easily be mistaken with that of Chrome. However, there is one significant difference between the legitimate Chrome and Potentially unwanted program Internet, and that is the search engine, homepage, and new tab page. On Chrome, they are set to Google.com, but this unreliable browser uses a different kind of search engine. It uses another Google.com-based search engine whose address we cannot post here because it is considered malicious. So much so that even Chrome and Firefox blocks its connection. Nevertheless, Internet Explorer is happy to take you there.

It can be said that Potentially unwanted program Internet's primary mission is to promote that malicious search engine because it probably features promotions for malicious software that can jeopardize your computer’s security. We are not sure about the kind of malware it promotes, and it probably varies depending on the region you are in. However, it seems that that malware is bad enough to cause you major trouble, so using that search engine is not recommended.

How to remove Potentially unwanted program Internet

All in all, we can say that Potentially unwanted program Internet is an unreliable program that is configured to promote a certain malicious search engine. But, this search engine is apt to promote malicious content. Therefore, several web browsers block it altogether. However, the browser this search engine comes with has been created for the purpose of promoting it so, apparently, it will not block it. We conclude that allowing this browser to remain on your PC can have negative consequences, so the sooner you uninstall it, the better.