What Is “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update”?
“Norton Antivirus 2021 Update” is a tech-support scam stemming from the secure.protect-pc-plus.xyz website. The scam message may appear as a pop-up or open up as a new page in the browser. Similar to other such scams, “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update” claims to be coming from an independent affiliate of the legitimate Norton Antivirus security company.
Its only purpose is to trick you into thinking your system is infected by “Malware and Viruses.” Anything that the page says should be neglected, and as a precaution you may want to check your system for potentially unwanted programs. Performing a security check of your system is highly advisable if you have clicked on the button provided by the “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update” message. Tech-support scams have a long history of promoting rogue anti-malware and anti-virus products that can be classified as potentially unwanted programs.
Other similar scams include Your ANTIVIRUS Subscription Has Expired, Norton Security Warning, and Your Norton security software expired today.
As you can see, the Web is full of various types of scams. You should keep your software and operating system up-to-date, and as an additional security measure, we also recommend installing a trustworthy anti-malware program.
Threat Summary
| Name | "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" |
| Type | Tech Support Scam |
| Short Description | A tech support scam that is trying to scare you that you have an issue. |
| Symptoms | The message may freeze your screen. Pop-up boxes, messages, and redirects appear in your browser. |
| Distribution Method | Unsafe Browsing, Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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“Norton Antivirus 2021 Update” – More Details
This is what the fake message claims:
Norton Antivirus 2021 Update
Due to recent reports of Malware and Viruses, Norton has released an Antivirus update.
Computers without the Antivirus, could be exposed to viruses and slower performance.
Clean and improve the performance of your Computer now. No computer restart is required.
The page also features a button that says “Click here to enable now,” suggesting that clicking the button will activate the Norton security program.
Did you know?
Usually, to appear trustworthy, scammers use the names of popular companies such as Microsoft and Apple. Keep in mind that no legitimate company, Norton included, utilizes pop-ups to warn you of any virus or malware. This is just a scareware approach trying to trick you into performing a specific action. In this case, you’re urged to click a button to activate a security program.
The web is full of suspicious, scamming web pages promoting tech-support scams. Furthermore, freeware installation packages may also be bundled with rogue security products that generate pop-ups such as “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update”.
Scamming pop-up messages all sound quite the same, and tend to have something in common. They all rely on legitimate companies to sound trustworthy, but you shouldn’t be tricked. The end goal of scammers is always the same – they aim to obtain financial and personal data from you, and eventually steal your money. In a nutshell, always be vigilant with pop-ups that contain the following details:
- The names of legitimate organizations like Microsoft and Norton
- Technical support phone numbers stated to be toll free
- Urgent warnings about critical security issues
Remove “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update”
Before actually getting to the point of removal, you may find yourself in need of closing your browser first. To do so, you can try these steps valid for Windows systems:
Step 1: Press CTRL+ALT+DEL.
Step 2: Open Task Manager.
Step 3: Right-Click on your browser’s exe file (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) and click on End Process. If this doesn’t work, right-click again and click on End Process Tree.
After you have done this, you should follow the removal instructions below the article, and remove the unwanted program causing the “Norton Antivirus 2021 Update” pop-ups either manually or automatically. As recommended by security experts, you should scan your computer using an anti-malware program. Such a program will fully remove any intrusive programs and malware that may currently be residing on your PC.
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How to Remove "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" (Windows).
Get rid of "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update". Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update", the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" (Mac)
Remove "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" will be removed.
Eliminate "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
"Norton Antivirus 2021 Update"-FAQ
What Is "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update"?
The "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update"?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update"?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" Work?
Once installed, "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
"Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update"?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the "Norton Antivirus 2021 Update" threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.