How to stop the protectsoftware.xyz website from displaying notifications/ads

What kind of page is protectsoftware[.]xyz?

Protectsoftware[.]xyz is a rogue webpage that we discovered while investigating suspicious sites. This page promotes online scams ("You've visited illegal infected website"), pushes spam browser notifications, and redirects visitors to different (likely untrustworthy/harmful) webpages.

Users typically enter pages like protectsoftware[.]xyz via others that use rogue advertising networks.

Protectsoftware[.]xyz overview

It must be mentioned that the content encountered on and through sites like protectsoftware[.]xyz may vary depending on the visitor's IP address/ geolocation.

At the time of research, the page in question ran the "You've visited illegal infected website" scam. This fake content is composed of an anti-virus interface, a system scan, and its results (threat reports). It must be stressed that the claims made by this scam are false, and they are not associated with the actual McAfee. Typically, scams of this kind promote unreliable, fraudulent, and malicious apps.

What is more, protectsoftware[.]xyz asked visitors to enable its browser notification delivery. Rogue websites use them to deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns. These ads push online scams, untrustworthy/harmful sites and software, and even malware.

To summarize, via webpages like protectsoftware[.]xyz - users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by protectsoftware.xyz
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.68.140
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, potentially 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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner 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.

Browser notification spam in general

Pushycaptcha[.]live, justpush[.]biz, basicnetworkpc[.]com, yourcommonblog[.]com, and chainedprotol[.]com are merely some examples of rogue pages that we have analyzed. These websites endorse online scams and malicious content.

It is pertinent to mention that any legitimate products encountered through these advertisements are unlikely to be promoted by their actual developers. Instead, this endorsement is undertaken by scammers abusing the products' affiliate programs with the goal of obtaining illegitimate commissions.

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

Websites can only display browser notifications with user consent. Permission to deliver these ads is given by selecting "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or any analogous options displayed on a page. Hence, if you are receiving notifications/adverts from protectsoftware[.]xyz - it means that you've likely accessed this site and consented to receive its browser notifications.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

If you access a suspicious website, do not permit it to display browser notifications (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, ignore or deny notification delivery requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Should your browser continuously force-open suspect webpages without prompt, it could be caused by the presence of adware on the device. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshots of notifications/adverts displayed by the protectsoftware[.]xyz website:

Appearance of the protectsoftware[.]xyz website (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:

• What is Ads by protectsoftware.xyz?
• STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
• STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
• STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
• STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
• STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Remove 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".

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).

Remove 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".

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).

Remove 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".

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).

Remove 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".

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).

Remove 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.

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)

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 protectsoftware[.]xyz in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Sites need user permission to deliver browser notifications (ads). Hence, you have likely entered protectsoftware[.]xyz and pressed "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option.

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

No, clicking on a browser notification will not initiate any malware download/installation chains. However, the sites/apps promoted through these adverts can be malicious and cause severe issues (including system infections).

Is protectsoftware[.]xyz a virus?

No, protectsoftware[.]xyz is not categorized as a virus, but it can endorse virulent content. Websites of this kind promote online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and malware.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your system and undo the permissions given to the protectsoftware[.]xyz page. It will also block all further access to this and other rogue, deceptive, and malicious websites. Therefore, additional steps will be unnecessary.

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