Sam Boyd
Updated on: January 4, 2024
Short on time? Here’s how to protect yourself from Gstatic virus in 2024:
- 1. Check if Gstatic URL Is Authentic. If the Gstatic URL you’re seeing isn’t on our list of secure domain names, it could be malware.
- 2. Run a Full Scan on Your Device. Use a quality antivirus such as Norton to scan your whole system.
- 3. Remove Unsafe Files. Once your scan is complete, remove any flagged files from your device.
- 4. Avoid Further Infections. To keep yourself safe from infections and unsafe sites in future, choose a reliable internet security suite. Norton is the best on the market — it has perfect malware detection and removal, excellent real-time protection, and heaps of useful extra features like anti-phishing, an unlimited VPN, and a password manager. All Norton plans come with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Gstatic isn’t a virus, and you shouldn’t remove it. Gstatic is a genuine Google service that hosts static content on the web, such as JavaScript, images, and CSS — Google caches this static content using the gstatic domain name in order to deliver content with shorter load times.
If you’re seeing gstatic.com in your address bar, it’s because you’re looking at content that has been brought to you or is hosted by Google. It is possible to block Gstatic using a secure firewall (such as Norton’s firewall), but there’s no reason to — you may experience slowdown, incomplete image loading, and other bugs while browsing the internet if you’re blocking Gstatic domains.
However, because Gstatic is a legitimate domain, some hackers may use fake Gstatic sites to install malware on user devices. If your device is acting strangely (issuing lots of pop-ups, running slowly, or redirecting your searches to unwanted websites), you may have a browser hijacker or another malware file running on your system.
The best way to safely remove the Gstatic virus is with Norton, our top antivirus of 2024. Norton’s plans start at a very affordable $54.99 / year*, and you can try them risk-free with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
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Preliminary Step: Check if Gstatic URL Is Authentic
Most instances of Gstatic that you see online are completely safe. But if you’re on a Gstatic page that is asking for personal information, asks you to download files, or clutters your screen with pop-ups, ads, or notifications, it’s probably a malicious site.
A good way of knowing whether Gstatic is genuine is to check the URL. Here’s a list of genuine Gstatic domains registered to Google:
- maps.gstatic.com.
- fonts.gstatic.com.
- metric.gstatic.com.
- csi.gstatic.com.
- ssl.gstatic.com.
- mail.gstatic.com.
- connectivity.gstatic.com
- accounts.gstatic.com.
If the domain in question isn’t listed above, and the page you’re on looks suspicious, then you’re probably looking at an unsafe website. Some unsafe sites host exploit kits, which are web-based hacking tools that can install malware on your system.
If you think you’re on a malicious site, close your browser and scan your computer with a secure antivirus (Norton is the best).
Step 1. Scan Your Device With Antivirus Software
Gstatic isn’t malware — but you could have downloaded malware files from an unsafe site pretending to be Gstatic. If your computer is running poorly, giving you lots of pop-ups, or you have new bookmarks, desktop icons, or strange programs running on startup, you may have malware.
First, unplug any USB storage devices from your USB ports — if you’ve accidentally installed malware on your PC, then it will replicate itself onto your USBs.
When this is done, initiate a full disk scan using your chosen antivirus. The full disk scan can take quite a while, but you should wait until it’s finished in case there’s malware on your computer that you don’t know about.
Important note: If you see malware appear in the infected file list, you should continue scanning. Don’t cancel the scan early because there may be other malware on your computer.
Some virus scanners can slow down your PC during a full disk scan, but others (like Bitdefender) use cloud-based scanning that can run without any slowdown. If you’re busy and don’t want any distractions, you can schedule a scan for when you’re not using your computer.
When the virus scan is completed, you can move on to step 2.
Step 2. Remove Any Infected Files
Note: If malware appeared in your antivirus’s quarantine folder, you must follow this step. If no malware appeared, skip to step 3.
Now that the malware scan is finished, you must carefully go through each file in your antivirus’s quarantine. Some flagged files may be false positives (safe files that your antivirus accidentally flags as malware). If there are any false positives, whitelist each of them before restarting your computer. If you’re not sure if a file is a false positive or not, take a screenshot of your quarantine list and send it to your antivirus customer support team.
When the quarantine list is empty, you need to restart your computer to stop dangerous files from running in your system’s memory. Then, run a second full disk scan (which should complete more quickly than the first). When the second full disk scan is finished, your quarantine list should be empty. If it’s not, you need to repeat steps 1 and 2 until you no longer see any malware. You can now move on to step 3.
Step 3. Keep Your Device Protected Against Dangerous Malware
Whether a malicious Gstatic imitator installed malware on your PC or not, it’s important you stay protected from dangerous malware and unsafe websites in 2024. Cybercriminals are constantly developing new threats, and while you may be safe today, you never know what kind of cyber threats you could face tomorrow. Here are 4 ways to prevent future attacks.
Keep Your Software, OS, and Drivers Up-To-Date
When developers find security vulnerabilities in their software, they issue fixes to prevent hackers from exploiting them. If there’s outdated software on your computer, you won’t be protected without these latest fixes. It’s really important you keep your PC up-to-date.
First, make sure your operating system has automatic updates enabled. It’s also a good idea to occasionally navigate into your update settings and check to see if there are any optional updates available. You should always download optional updates since they often contain security fixes.
Next, check any applications you use frequently and whether their auto-update option is turned on. This is usually located in the application’s settings. If there isn’t an auto-update option, you could also look in the app’s settings for a version number. You can compare it with the latest version number online to see if there’s an update available.
However, the best way to keep everything on your system up-to-date is to use a vulnerability scanner. TotalAV provides a really good vulnerability scanner that’s easy to use and can quickly look for and patch outdated system software.
Don’t Download Suspicious Files
It’s crucial you don’t download suspicious files — including freeware and pirated files — from untrustworthy websites. Such content is usually packed with malware that can damage your PC. If you use torrent sites, you need to protect your devices with an antivirus program and a secure VPN like ExpressVPN.
Similarly, you need to be really cautious with attachments and links sent via email. Email is one of the key ways that cybercriminals spread malware — either by mass emailing people from fake email addresses, or by hacking real people and using their accounts to gain access to people in their network. Even if you recognize the sender (i.e. if the email is from a trusted business or person), you shouldn’t download any attachments if you weren’t expecting any. If you receive an email with an attachment from a sender you recognize, get in touch with them first and confirm if they sent you an attachment.
Finally, whenever you use the web, you should ensure you have decent real-time protection running. Norton is a good example of real-time threat protection. It can intercept dangerous downloads before they cause damage to your PC and block you from visiting dangerous websites (such as fake Gstatic pages).
Secure Your Wireless Network and IoT Devices
Another way to stay safe from potential threats is to ensure your wireless network and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are fully secured. Hackers can easily infiltrate unsecured networks and use them to spread malware or take control of your computer/home systems remotely.
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are an often overlooked vector of cyber-attack. IoT devices include:
- Smart locks.
- Home security cameras.
- Doorbell cameras.
- Smart speakers.
- Baby monitors.
If you can log into any of these without entering a password, it means hackers can do the same. If you haven’t secured your IoT device with a password, then it’s a good idea to look up the IoT device’s model number online and find instructions explaining how to do so. Once you know how to lock your IoT device behind a password, you should use a secure password manager like Dashlane to generate a password. Secure password managers like Dashlane can instantly generate a super-strong password that hackers can’t easily crack.
Likewise, you should make sure your wireless network is secure. On Windows, you can determine this by looking at your wireless network list (located on the taskbar). An unsecured network will have a warning sign next to it as well as a message saying it’s “Open”.
macOS has a similar network list at the top of its screen. A secure network on Mac will have a padlock symbol next to it.
If your network isn’t secure, you must secure it. To do this, you need to log into your router, so either call your router’s customer service team to learn how or look up your router online by its model number. Once you’ve figured out how to secure your router behind a password, you should use a password manager to create a super-strong password that’s difficult to crack.
You should note that you might not have a choice but to connect to an unsecured wireless network in some cases. For example, you could be at an airport. In these situations, you can generally stay safe by investing in a good-quality VPN like ExpressVPN. A good-quality VPN will mask your location and make it hard for cybercriminals to track and steal your data.
Download a Secure Antivirus Program
The last precaution is to download a secure antivirus program like Norton. Norton comes with various features that can help keep you safe online in 2024.
For example, Norton has:
- Real-time protection. Scans files in real-time and intercepts malware before it can cause damage.
- Secure firewall. Monitors network traffic and denies any unrecognized or untrustworthy connections.
- Virtual private network (VPN). Masks your IP address and gives you a virtual one to spoof your location and make your data difficult for trackers to collect.
- Parental controls. Includes various functions to keep kids safe online, such as content filters and screen-time restrictions.
- ID protection. (US only). Monitors your credit report and alerts you to any suspicious activity.
- System cleanup. Helps your PC run faster by deleting files and managing your startup options.
- And more…
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gstatic?
Gstatic is a genuine domain used by Google that hosts images, CSS, and javascript code to reduce bandwidth usage online.
Gstatic isn’t a virus and will not damage your PC in any way. It’s completely normal to see the Gstatic URL while loading a web page. It means Google is processing the content on the page.
However, if you begin to see harmful pop-ups from a site claiming to be Gstatic, it could mean your PC has been infected with malware. It’s advisable to conduct a full system scan using a robust antivirus scanner, like Norton, to eliminate any threats.
Can I block gstatic.com?
You have the ability to block any website on the internet, gstatic.com included, by accessing your firewall settings and turning off connections for a particular website — but blocking Gstatic is not recommended.
If you are having problems with your computer, then chances are they’re not caused by Gstatic. When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to run a full system scan with a secure antivirus to find out if you have any threats harming your PC. If you need to block an unsafe domain with your firewall, Bitdefender’s firewall is really easy to use.
How to remove Gstatic virus?
Gstatic is a standard aspect of Google’s website processes and isn’t removable. If Gstatic triggers an antivirus alert, ensure it’s from a genuine Gstatic source, validate its authenticity, and classify it as a false positive. A counterfeit Gstatic variant causing computer issues would be the exception to this.
This is recognizable by abnormal slowdown or pop-ups — you should only see Gstatic as a domain name when you are loading static images and other content online. If you’re getting unusual pop-ups from Gstatic, you should run a full disk scan of your computer and send a picture of your virus logs to your antivirus’s customer support team. They will be able to confirm if the Gstatic virus appearing in your quarantined malware list is malicious or not. Norton is a good platform to do this on.
