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How to stop receiving notifications from defenderfocus.xyz

Also Known As: Ads by defenderfocus.xyz
Damage level: Medium

What kind of page is defenderfocus[.]xyz?

While inspecting defenderfocus[.]xyz, we found that it runs the "McAfee - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!" scam and wants to deliver untrustworthy notifications. This page should be ignored and never allowed to show notifications. Our team discovered defenderfocus[.]xyz while analyzing pages that use rogue advertising networks.

defenderfocus[.]xyz ads

Defenderfocus[.]xyz in detail

Defenderfocus[.]xyz is designed to display a fake antivirus scanner that "detects" five viruses on a computer. It also displays a deceptive pop-up window (fake virus warning) claiming that personal data, banking information, and other sensitive info are at risk. It uses a scare tactic to promote antivirus software.

Clicking the "Start McAfee" button on this page opens a legitimate McAfee website with an affiliate ID in its URL. The purpose of defenderfocus[.]xyz is to lure visitors into purchasing a McAfee Total Protection subscription. This page is owned by affiliates who earn commissions when someone pays for a software subscription via their page.

McAfee is a legitimate computer security software company that has nothing to do with defenderfocus[.]xyz.

Another detail about defenderfocus[.]xyz is that it wants to show notifications. Its notifications can be used to promote other scams (e.g., technical support scams), phishing pages, shady applications, and even malicious websites. Thus, it is strongly recommended not to agree to receive notifications from websites like defenderfocus[.]xyz.

Threat Summary:
Name Ads by defenderfocus.xyz
Threat Type Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address 104.21.8.91
Symptoms Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution Methods Deceptive pop-up ads, false claims within visited websites, unwanted applications (adware)
Damage Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.
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To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

More about websites of this type

Users usually open such pages by clicking on untrustworthy advertisements (or notifications displayed by deceptive pages) and while browsing shady websites. In some cases, these websites are opened by installed advertising-supported applications. In all cases, users do not visit them intentionally.

More examples of similar pages are suldo[.]click, essential-scan[.]com, and pc-protections[.]com.

How did defenderfocus[.]xyz gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites cannot show notifications without permission. It means that defenderfocus[.]xyz has permission to show them: it was visited, and the "Allow" button was clicked while visiting it. Like most pages of this type, defenderfocus[.]xyz displays deceptive content to lure visitors into agreeing to receive notifications.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

Ignore and close suspicious websites claiming that clicking the "Allow" button is required to prove that you are not a robot, play a video, download a file, etc. Another way to refuse to receive notifications from pages is to click the "Block" button when they ask for permission to show them.

If you are receiving unwanted notifications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of defenderfocus[.]xyz website (GIF):

defenderfocus[.]xyz website appearance (GIF)

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Google Chrome logoRemove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome (step 1)

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome (step 2)

Android logoRemove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome - Android (step 1)

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome - Android (step 2)

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Mozilla Firefox (step 1)

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Mozilla Firefox (step 2)

Microsoft Edge logoRemove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Microsoft Edge (step 1)

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Microsoft Edge (step 2)

Safari logoRemove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Disable web browser notifications in Safari - macOS (step 1)

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disable web browser notifications in Safari - macOS (step 2)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by defenderfocus[.]xyz in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Defenderfocus[.]xyz cannot deliver notifications until it is allowed. Websites receive permission to show notifications when visitors click the "Allow" (or equivalent) button displayed by browsers while visiting them.

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

A computer cannot be infected by a notification, but it can be infected by a website opened through it. Notifications of this type can open malicious pages.

Is defenderfocus[.]xyz a virus?

Web pages like defenderfocus[.]xyz are not viruses. They display deceptive content to fraudulently promote legitimate software. Their notifications can promote various scams, potentially malicious applications, and websites.

Will Combo Cleaner remove defenderfocus[.]xyz ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will stop defenderfocus[.]xyz from showing notifications (this app will remove permissions granted for defenderfocus[.]xyz). It will also block further access to this untrustworthy website. No additional steps will be required.

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT. Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.

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Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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