This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2017) |
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Computer software |
Founded | 15 September 2005 |
Founders | Guy Saner and Lindsey Whelan |
Products | CCleaner Recuva Defraggler Speccy CCleaner Cloud [1] CCleaner Browser |
Parent | Avast (Gen Digital) |
Website | https://www.ccleaner.com/ |
Piriform Ltd is a British software company based in London, owned since 2017 by Avast which itself become part of NortonLifeLock (later rebranded as Gen Digital) in 2022. The company develops cleaning and optimisation tools for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Android operating systems, including CCleaner, CCleaner Browser, Defraggler, Recuva and Speccy. [2] [3] On 22 September 2015, Piriform launched CCleaner Cloud, a tool to maintain computers remotely. [4]
The name Piriform means "shaped like a pear," possibly referring to the British slang "to go pear-shaped".[ citation needed ]
CCleaner was launched in 2004 by founders Guy Saner and Lindsey Whelan.
In July 2017, Piriform Ltd was acquired by Avast. [5] [6]
In September 2017, researchers discovered that CCleaner was compromised by hackers who inserted a backdoor into the software, enabling remote access to infected machines. [7] [5] [8]
The malware was in version 5.33 of CCleaner, prior to the acquisition by Avast. Avast quickly fixed the vulnerability and required version 5.33 users to update immediately. [9]
CCleaner is a computer cleaning software featuring MacOS and Windows versions. CCleaner has the option to clean computer browser software including Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox as well as a computer system's temporary files. It has a separate tab to clean the registry. (A potential backup of regedit is available.) CCleaner's other tools include editing and uninstalling programs, editing the operating system's startup apps and editing browser plugins. It can analyse hard disks individually to determine which files are taking the most space. It can search for duplicate files to help reduce drive storage space. It allows one to quickly access system restore points, and it can wipe clean the free space on individual drives to completely remove deleted files. In addition, CCleaner can automatically update computer software and drivers.
CCleaner has its own web browser called CCleaner Browser. CCleaner Browser is included to optionally install in the CCleaner installer, but it can also be installed from its website. CCleaner Browser blocks online advertisements, avoids tracking, has built-in security against malware, phishing, malicious downloads, and also avoids unwanted elements like pop-ups or excessive browser cache. The browser is only available for Microsoft Windows. [10]
CCleaner also develops a tool called Kamo, which feeds trackers fake information to help stop a 'digital fingerprint' (a unique fingerprint that can be used to identify and track people) from being created. It supposedly makes websites and advertisers less able to show targeted ads, recommendations and price increases.[ citation needed ]
Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. By contrast, software that causes harm due to some deficiency is typically described as a software bug. Malware poses serious problems to individuals and businesses on the Internet. According to Symantec's 2018 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), malware variants number has increased to 669,947,865 in 2017, which is twice as many malware variants as in 2016. Cybercrime, which includes malware attacks as well as other crimes committed by computer, was predicted to cost the world economy $6 trillion USD in 2021, and is increasing at a rate of 15% per year.
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A registry cleaner is a class of third-party utility software designed for the Microsoft Windows operating system, whose purpose is to remove redundant items from the Windows Registry.
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CCleaner, developed by Piriform, is a utility used to clean potentially unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries from a computer. It is one of the longest-established system cleaners, first launched in 2004. It was originally developed for Microsoft Windows only, but in 2012, a macOS version was released. An Android version was released in 2014.
Defraggler is a freemium defragmentation utility developed by Piriform, which can defragment individual files or groups of files on computer system. Defraggler runs on Microsoft Windows; it has support for all versions since Windows XP. It includes support for both IA-32 and x64 versions of these operating systems.
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Browser security is the application of Internet security to web browsers in order to protect networked data and computer systems from breaches of privacy or malware. Security exploits of browsers often use JavaScript, sometimes with cross-site scripting (XSS) with a secondary payload using Adobe Flash. Security exploits can also take advantage of vulnerabilities that are commonly exploited in all browsers.
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Vault 7 is a series of documents that WikiLeaks began to publish on 7 March 2017, detailing the activities and capabilities of the United States Central Intelligence Agency to perform electronic surveillance and cyber warfare. The files, dating from 2013 to 2016, include details on the agency's software capabilities, such as the ability to compromise cars, smart TVs, web browsers, and the operating systems of most smartphones, as well as other operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. A CIA internal audit identified 91 malware tools out of more than 500 tools in use in 2016 being compromised by the release. The tools were developed by the Operations Support Branch of the C.I.A.