When analyzing a potential threat, we use 5 specific criteria: behavior, privacy, distribution, removal, and integration. The threat is then assigned points according to its characteristics when attempting to infiltrate your computer. The points are tallied and rounded to the nearest whole number to determine the threat’s TA index level. Click on the threat levels or criteria below to learn more about the analysis process.
Low
Threats matching these criteria receive 0.3 of a point for each incident.
Behavior
- Performs automatic updating that is not possible to disable
- Displays advertising content with your consent
- Adds an auto-start feature that is disclosed to you, but cannot be disabled
- Serves no discernable function, except as a vehicle for the distribution of advertising content
Privacy
- Transmits system information with your consent and/or knowledge
- Transmits usage statistics with your consent. Includes (but is not limited to) information related to the software's usage and status, and to third party software. Includes information not related to the software (such as personal information).
- No privacy policy is available or is difficult to read, but application does not raise any further privacy related issues
Distribution
- Bundles with third party software and presence is disclosed prior to installation
- License terms are included but are unintentionally difficult to read
Removal
- Uninstaller is unintentionally difficult to locate and/or is mislabelled
- Number of uninstallers does not match the number of installers
Integration
- Causes noticeable unnecessary load on the computer or bandwidth
- Presents an unfixed number of advertisements per day (but only when online)
- Installs multiple times, to different folders with different host applications, in the same user account
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