Don't lose faith in Lenovo just yet. After an embarrassing security and public-relations debacle resulting from the discovery of the potentially dangerous Superfish adware on its consumer laptops, the company is taking steps to prevent future security fails, making a promise that its products from now on will be "cleaner (and) safer."
In an official blog posting, Lenovo said customers affected by the Superfish adware will get a free 6-month subscription to McAfee's LiveSafe security service ( and a 6-month extension for existing users). The company also promised that, by the time it launches its Windows 10 products, its standard software installation will include only the operating system, security and Lenovo applications, as well as programs necessary for unique hardware (such as 3D cameras).
The company says this "should eliminate what our industry calls 'adware' and 'bloatware.'" Of course, that will depend on which Lenovo applications, and which security applications, the electronics giant intends to include in future PCs.
MORE: Lenovo Releases Superfish Removal Tool
Lenovo also said it will post information about all the software preloaded on its PCs to clearly explain what each application does, as well as continue to get feedback from its users and industry experts to ensure the integrity of its software selection.
In mid-February, security experts discovered that the Visual Discovery advertising software, which had been preloaded in Lenovo's consumer notebooks since at least September 2014, created a giant security vulnerability. The software, made by an Israeli company called Superfish, made it easy for malicious hackers to get your information by posing as a familiar site, such as a banking login portal or shopping website.
Lenovo released a Superfish removal tool days later. If you believe you might be affected, our sister site Tom's Guide has a guide on how to check for and remove the program.
Image credit: Nobu Tamura/Creative Commons
