Do you know what Hotbar is?
Hotbar is a program that delivers unwanted advertisements on the affected computer. It was developed by Zango Company that officially became defunct in 2009. Nevertheless the installation files for Hotbar have been preserved and now hackers can use this browser toolbar as an exploit in order to install other malicious programs. Therefore, if the user notices this toolbar installed on his browser, he has to remove Hotbar immediately.
Most recently Hotbar has been associated with Live Security Platinum rogue antispyware application. Even though there is no exact proof that Hotbar delivers Live Security Platinum to the target system via bundle download, the adware-related files are frequently found in the scan log of those users who have been infected with Live Security Platinum. The file commonly found is called HBLiteAx.Info and it is directly related to Hotbar.
Hotbar itself has been marketed as a program that adds graphical skins to Internet Explorer, Outlook and Outlook Express. It also installs its own toolbar on Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Hotbar monitors user’s browsing habits and then attacks the user with customized advertisements that should appeal to the user’s hobbies and likes. The user cannot remove Hotbar just like that, because it does not have an uninstall utility. What is more, this adware connects to the Internet behind the user’s back (contacting such sites as metricsdirect.com, seekmo.com, zroitracker.com) and downloads its own updates. Without a single notification!
What is more, Hotbar installs other bundled software, sometimes redirecting users to fake websites. When the user arrives at the website that is cybersquatting, he might get the program he is looking for (like Audacity or ARES, for example), but it will come bundled with a whole list of undesirable programs that will meddle with the overall system performance. Thus, even though Hotbar is not a virus or a rogue antispyware, it should be taken seriously.
It is highly recommended to remove Hotbar with a computer security program due to a large number of components this adware comes with. It would be really hard to remove them all manually, while a security program can detect and erase Hotbar and its components at once.
In non-techie terms:
Hotbar is an undesirable computer adware program that compromises the system and its security. The user has to remove Hotbar from his computer as soon as possible and safeguard the computer from any possible malware attacks.
Aliases: Hot bar.