What is Adware.MAC.Tuguu
Adware.MAC.Tuguu is categorized as a nasty adware infection that is known to infiltrate Mac devices. This type of malicious software is programmed by cyber criminals to generate pay-per-click revenue via shady advertisements that will be constantly displayed on the victim’s screen. What’s more, the user may even get tricked into installing other unreliable software on their computer, thinking it’s an important update. Apart from heavy advertisement attacks, adware may also get its hands on your personal information. That’s why it’s important to remove this threat as soon as you detect it!
How it is distributed
Most commonly, adware such as Adware.MAC.Tuguu can get distributed via freeware, software bundles, fake update messages, torrent files, or email attachments. Users often unknowingly install dangerous programs along with other software. In order to avoid such thing, you need to pay close attention to the installation process. Be on the lookout for any additional software, since that’s how malicious programs are being able to infiltrate the devices of unsuspecting users. Make sure to opt out of any unfamiliar bonus programs that you don’t need. If you fail to do this, optional installations will automatically take place without further authorization from your part. That’s why victims are often unaware that a malware infection has taken place on their computer.
How it operates
As we already mentioned, adware is capable of flooding your screen with all sorts of intrusive ads and pop-up, every time you open your browser. Even your online videos will often get interrupted for unnecessary commercial breaks. But that’s not all. Other symptoms that point straight to an adware infection on your Mac include, but are not limited to slow internet connection, unresponsive browser, as well as the appearance of new toolbars, add-ons and other extensions, the installation of which were not authorized by the user. You need to be on alert, since Adware.MAC.Tuguu may monitor your online activity and collect data like frequently visited pages and search results, and even IP addresses, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. Browsing data will be very useful for the parasite, since it will help it produce the kind of adverts that you’ll be more likely to click on. For each click you make, the adware will get paid.
Staying safe from Adware.MAC.Tuguu
Apart from having a reliable AV software installed on your Mac, there are other things you can do to ensure your device’s safety. We highly recommend you to:
- Pay close attention when you install third-party software, especially torrent files, so you don’t install shady additional applications that you don’t want. In most cases, that’s how malicious parasites are able to infect your computer;
- Read any Terms and Conditions you see, so you know exactly what you agree to. The last thing you want is to unknowingly give permission to a nasty virus to infiltrate your Mac;
- Follow links that lead to trustworthy sites only;
- It is best to visit only reliable and official websites. You never know what dangers might lurk behind an unfamiliar site;
- No matter how attractive an ad is, if you are not familiar with the website it redirects to, it might be best to steer clear of it and not click;
- Always check the sender’s email address before opening a message. If it states that it’s from an official company, compare the email with the one given in their official page. If there is no match, delete the message, since it most likely is fake and has malicious aims;
- Don’t open email attachments from unknown senders. More often than not, such files carry infections that can seriously damage your computer.
How to manually remove Adware.MAC.Tuguu from Mac
If you’ve had the misfortune of getting your Mac infected with Adware.MAC.Tuguu, the instructions below can help you to remove it manually. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Go to Utilities. You can do that by using the ⇧+⌘+U key combination, or by going to Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go main menu at the top.
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it.
3. A list will be displayed. Find any processes that seem suspicious to you and use the ‘Force Quit‘ option to quit them completely.
4. Open Finder. Click on the Go button from the main menu at the top, and choose Applications. An alternative way is to use the ⇧+⌘+A key combination.
5. Look for any suspicious applications, especially ones with a name similar to Adware.MAC.Tuguu. If any are found, right-click on them and select the ‘Move to Trash‘ option.
6. Remove any related left-over files by going to Finder‘s search bar and typing the name of the app you want to remove. Make sure to modify the two drop down menus above to ‘System Files‘ and ‘Are Included‘, so that any hidden files are visible for you to remove. Once you find the files you want to remove, simply drag them to Trash.
7. All that’s left for you to do is remove any related extensions to Adware.MAC.Tuguu from your Mac browsers.
For Mozilla Firefox extensions:
- Open the Firefox browser and from the ‘burger’ menu in the top right corner of the window select ‘Add-ons’.
- Select any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and click ‘Remove’.
For Google Chrome extensions:
- Open the Chrome browser and select Tools > Extensions from the menu (the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window).
- Locate any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and remove them.
For Safari extensions:
- Open the Safari browser. From the Safari menu choose Preferences. Select Extensions from the options at the top.
- Find any extensions you think are related to the virus, select them and click ‘Uninstall’. A new window will show up asking for confirmation. Click Uninstall again, for the extension to get deleted permanently from your browser.
Please, have in mind that SpyHunter offers a free 15-day Trial version with full functionality. Credit card is required, no charge upfront.