Lenovo is building a bad reputation thanks to some software that the company preinstalled on various Lenovo computer models.

Lenovo claims that the software was installed in order to benefit some users that may like the program called Superfish. What the program actually does, however, is install a root certificate in order to get around HTTPS.

Superfish security is also really lax, and the program actually leaves systems wide open for hacks. These hacks could, in turn, lead to the hacking of personal information like bank numbers and email details. For these reasons, privacy advocacy groups have insisted the the company remove the software.

A Bit Mess for Lenovo

The Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. has become involved in the matter now. The Department lists Superfish as spyware, and, thus, has ordered Lenovo to remove the software from all computers where it resides. Last Friday, the US government even issued an alert to all Lenovo owners to remove the software from their computers, but trying to remove the software has proven problematic for some as well.

So why did Lenovo think that installing Superfish was a good idea? Superfish is a shopping application that was added to help users find different ideas and sources for shopping. Lenovo reps claim that they thought the app would be of interest for many different users, but it’s turned out to be more of a pain than anything else.

Has any Lenovo user come under attack from a hacker using Superfish to get personal details? Right now, nothing has been reported.That said, it has been proved that the application can, in fact, be hacked into quite easily.

Getting Rid of Superfish

There are various ways to get rid of this program. Lenovo has posted some ways, and you’ll see a quick removal option on the Lenovo site soon. Microsoft’s Defender tool will also get rid of the program if you are using that tool (or want to use it).

Lenovo’s Stance

The company is also stating that Superfish is an optional program that users have the choice to opt out of. When setting up a Lenovo system, users are asked whether or not they want to install the program. Lenovo states that users had to click ‘yes’ in order to install the program, so the company is defending its stance that Superfish was not installed on all computers without consent.

Still, most people simply click through that setup process, and that means that a good number of those people didn’t realize what they were saying yes to. Lenovo also claims that the financial arrangement between the company and Superfish is minimal, and that the company did not install Superfish for financial gain alone.

Some are debating this statement. Either way, Lenovo has been ordered to help users remove the software effectively, and this is what you should do if Superfish is on your Lenovo machine. If you do have the program installed, visit the Lenovo website right now to get rid of it. If that doesn’t work, make sure to report the issue.