The Lenovo Superfish Malware Security Flaw and What it Means to You

If you purchased a new Lenovo laptop any time after August 2014, then there’s a good chance your device is infected by an inconspicuous piece of adware designed by a company called Superfish. This past week, the industry has been buzzing with details regarding the Lenovo Superfish malware security flaw, to the point that the Department of Homeland Security is urging those with Lenovo laptops to remove the adware from their computers as quickly as possible.

What is Superfish Malware?

The official name of the spyware is Superfish Visual Discovery. It is essentially an Internet browser add-on that tracks your surfing activity in order to inject targeted ads onto websites you visit. Lenovo has come under fire because experts suggest that Visual Discovery undermines basic HTTPS security protocols, thus making the laptops open and vulnerable to hackers.

One of the most prominent dangers is that the program makes it impossible for a computer to identify a fake website. And, this is exactly how cyber-thieves perpetrate their attacks – by using fake websites to trick consumers into downloading trojans and other malicious software programs. Lenovo claims the adware was pre-loaded on 43 different laptop and notebook models, including its Flex, E-, G-, S-, U-, Y- and Z-series laptops and several Miix and Yoga tablets. The company’s popular ThinkPad models were said to not carry the adware. According to CNET, Lenovo sold approximately 16 million computers in the fourth quarter of 2014.

How to Tell if Your Computer is Infected with Superfish Adware and How to Remove It

If you have a Lenovo computer and you want to check to see if it is infected by Superfish’s malware, then all you have to do is visit https://lastpass.com/superfish/. Simply clicking on the link will take you to a site that will tell you whether or not your computer has the software installed on it.

If the results say you’re affected by Superfish, then follow these steps to uninstall the program:

1. Click the Windows Start button
2. Search “Uninstall Program”
3. Launch “Uninstall Program”
4. Right-click on Superfish Inc. Visual Discovery and select Uninstall
5. If prompted for administrator password, enter or provide confirmation

Once the uninstall process is completed, then you must next uninstall the certificates by doing the following:

1. Click the Windows Start button
2. Type certmgr.msc into the Search box
3. Click the certmgr.msc Program to launch it
4. If prompted for administrator password, enter the password or provide confirmation
5. Click on “Trusted Root Certification Authorities”
6. Open Certificates
7. Look for any certificates mentioning Superfish Inc.
8. Right-click on any Superfish Inc. certificates and delete
9. Restart your browser and visit https://lastpass.com/superfish/ to determine if you are safe

How Are Consumers Affected?

Besides the heightened risk of having one’s banking and email information stolen by hackers, there are several other ways consumers are being affected by the Superfish adware. For example, in order to be completely protected, consumers are being advised to reinstall brand new operating systems on their devices. This provides the surest way of ensuring that all traces of the malware are gone from the computer. Because consumers already paid for the copy of Windows that came pre-installed on their computers, this means they are going to have to pay out-of-pocket for a new copy, which is currently priced at $120.

For large-volume buyers, getting rid of the adware can be a monumental task. Partnering with a licensed data destruction provider is recommended to ensure that the infiltrating software is properly and effectively eradicated from every device.

Contact Liquid Technology for Data Destruction Services

If you have a large volume of Lenovo laptops and/or netbooks that were purchased between September 2014 and January 2015, then you need to mitigate your risks immediately. Liquid Technology has the resources necessary for wiping your hard drives completely clean without compromising the integrity of the computer’s drive or its functionality. All you will have to do is install new “clean” operating systems and your security will be intact. Call us today at 800-797-5478 to speak with one of our data destruction specialists or to schedule service.