When it comes to your computer, having an efficient system with no viruses ensures that your user data is protected and that you won’t be a victim of cyber-crime. That’s why it’s always recommended to have some form of antivirus software on your computer. The role of antivirus is to detect, isolate, and neutralize malicious software or code that would otherwise cause harm to your system, network, and potentially you. A common term that many users with third-party antiviruses wonder about is IDP.Generic, which is what we’ll be covering below.
What is IDP.generic?
IDP.generic is a heuristic detection that is part of your antivirus software, used to identify potential malware. The IDP portion of this term stands for identity protection, and the “generic” simply refers to a generic file. What it means is that your antivirus software is flagging a file that it doesn’t recognize and is behaving in a way that could potentially be malicious.
What is the main purpose of IDP.generic?
The main purpose of a heuristic detection is to identify new or unknown threats, and it does this by analyzing the behavior of a file to see if it’s malicious. In some cases, IDP.generic can produce false positives – which we’ll cover later – but for the most part, it’s pretty accurate in its detection.
IDP.generic variations in antivirus software
IDP.generic is most commonly seen with Avast or AVG antivirus software, but it may also be detected as:
- Trojan.Crypt.Delf.AF in Bitdefender.
- Win32/PSW.Lineage.AJP in ESET-NOD32.
- HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic in Kaspersky.
- TR/Crypt/XPACK.Gen in Avira.
What can cause an IDP.generic warning?
IDP.Generic warnings appear when a file exhibits behaviors in line with what malware and various viruses are known to do. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a virus has been detected. It only flags a generic file that is acting in the same manner.
Should you ignore the warning?
No, you should not ignore the IDP.generic warning. Often, cybercriminals will disguise malicious files as legitimate, hoping that they won’t get flagged by your antivirus software. Common examples of IDP virus types include trojans, spyware, password-stealing viruses, and banking malware, all of which can cause identity theft, stolen passwords, or bank details.
Due to this, it is important to check the IDP.generic warning, as it is there to alert you that something may be wrong, and you should take a closer look at the file in question.
We recommend that you run the program in question through another antivirus software or use a virus-checking website like VirusTotal to see if the flagged file is clean.
How to determine if the IDP.generic warning is a false positive
The most common cause for an IDP,generic antivirus notification to pop up is due to your antivirus software being outdated. When an antivirus software is outdated, it can flag innocent programs as malicious. Keeping your antivirus software up-to-date can help prevent this from happening, but the warning may still occur from time to time.
The same also applies to Java. If your Java is out of date, that may be the reason for an IDP.generic false positive.
The first thing you should do is look at the source where the files came from. Were the files obtained from a trusted source? If so, a false-positive is the likeliest scenario, and if not, the alternative is likely true. Either way, it’s a good idea to scan the files using another antivirus program to be certain.
Here’s what you should do with an IDP.Generic false positive
In the event of a confirmed false positive, the file in question will have been isolated and quarantined from the rest of the computer. As such, it’s time to restore that file to its proper place and prevent the program it belongs to from running into problems, such as crashing or issues with functionality.
The method with which to accomplish this differs with every antivirus software, but the main steps you’ll need to perform are:
- Release the file from your antivirus isolation.
- Whitelist (or add an exception to) the released file.
- Update your antivirus threat definition.
These steps will mark the previously flagged file as safe, prevent it from being flagged again, and improve your antivirus’ ability to locate other threats more accurately.
How to identify if a file flagged as IDP.generic is a virus
There are some red flags that you can look for to determine if the IDP.generic program that is being flagged is indeed a virus. Watch out for the following:
- Has your computer significantly slowed down after a recent program update, download, or website browsing session?
- Does your computer suddenly have missing Windows files?
- Is there new software on your computer that you did not download yourself?
- Are you suddenly getting unrelated BSOD (blue screen of death) crashes?
- Is your computer using excessive amounts of RAM?
These are tell-tale signs that you have an unwanted virus on the computer.
How to remove IDP.generic if it is a virus
Should you find that a threat is present, your antivirus software has likely already taken care of it for you by isolating the file. All you have to do is tell your software to delete it, and the file will be gone.
However, it’s always a good idea to run a full scan afterward, as something malicious may have been left behind. This process may take several hours to complete, but it’s worth the wait to ensure your data’s security.
How to prevent future IDP.generic warning
Now that we’ve gone over everything you need to know about IDP.generic, let’s talk about how you can prevent future IDP.Generic threats. As we mentioned before, one of the best ways to do this is to keep your antivirus software up to date. The easiest way to do this is to enable automatic updates so that your antivirus software remains up to date at all times. This will help prevent false positives from antivirus software like AVG and Avast so that if you do get an IDP.generic alert, you know to take it seriously.
In addition to keeping your antivirus software up-to-date, you should also be sure to practice safe browsing habits. That means avoiding suspicious websites and only downloading files from trusted sources. Cybercriminals are always coming up with new ways to distribute malware, and by being diligent, you can help protect yourself from becoming a victim. Be wary of opening emails from unknown senders, and if you do accidentally open one, don’t click on any attachments or links within the body of the email.
Finally, it’s also a good idea to have a backup of your data. In the event that you do become infected with malware, having a backup will ensure that you don’t lose any important files, and it makes it a lot easier to remove the infected file and grab it clean and fresh from your backup. By following these simple tips, you can help protect yourself from IDP.Generic and other threats.
