Name: NetworkEssentials Category: Browser Plug-in Alias: Hopper, MediaLoads Enhanced, MediaPops, orkEssentials, SmartPops Advice: Remove Risk: Moderate Risk Moderate threats may profile users online habits or broadcast data back to a server with 'opt-out' permission. In most cases this type of threat is more along the lines of commercial type adware that offer a premium service in exchange for tracking your user online performance. Description: Network Essentials is an IE Browser Helper Object which monitors URLs being viewed in the web browser. Network Essentials is an IE Browser Helper Object which monitors URLs being viewed in the web browser, and a process which updates the list of targeted sites and downloads and displays pop-up adverts when directed to do so by the BHO. NetworkEssentials/NE is the first variant, storing its files in 'Program FilesNetwork EssentialsvN', where N is a number (8 and 11 have been seen). The pop-up process is a separate task which can be killed from the task manager but is respawned by the BHO periodically. NetworkEssentials/ME is a newer variant using 'Program FilesMediaLoads Enhanced' to store its single DLL (functions previously done by the process are now built in to the BHO). NetworkEssentials is installed by the DownloadWare syware threat. Signatures: process: c48a1bb1003480d61b31b0a2de68cf91.exe: MD5 Hash: 48a1bb1003480d61b31... process: dw[1].exe: MD5 Hash: 386ce1749d9021bc5d1... process: ne.exe: MD5 Hash: 65696e32c63e8ed5a6c... process: ne.exe: MD5 Hash: ... process: launcher.exe: MD5 Hash: .. Type: Browser Plug-in - Adware is generally software that displays advertisements. Some advertisers may covertly install adware on your system and generate a stream of unsolicited advertisements that can clutter your desktop and affect your productivity. The advertisements may also contain pornographic or other material that you might find inappropriate. The extra processing required to track you or to display advertisements can tax your computer and hurt your system performance.