Dell Support For eDellRoot: Company Issues Apology Security Mishap, Provides Removal Tool

Dell issued an apology after several customers complained about a "Superfish-style" certificate that can be used by hackers to get private information from users. The company also said that they are working on a solution now, giving assurance to those who are affected, The Verge reported.

The name of the certificate is eDellRoot that is pre-installed on Dell laptops: Inspiron 5000, XPS 15 and XPS 13 models. The same report stated Dell appealed that the certificate is created for customers so they will have an easier time getting a support online and that the company did not intend to get personal information. The computer giant added that the situation was not like Lenovo's Superfish scare earlier this year.

It is quite ironic that Dell got involved in this type of issue, especially that they made the scare about the Superfish software part of their marketing.

"Each application we pre-load undergoes security, privacy and usability testing to ensure that our customers experience the best possible computing performance, faster set-up and reduced privacy and security concerns", the company stated in its ad.

In a formal statement, Dell officials also said that the certificate is neither a malware nor adware. "Rather, it was intended to provide the system service tag to Dell online support allowing us to quickly identify the computer model, making it easier and faster to service our customers. "

"This certificate is not being used to collect personal customer information. It's also important to note that the certificate will not reinstall itself once it is properly removed using the recommended Dell process", the statement continued.

Amidst the mishap, Dell thanked the customers who brought the issue to their attention and assured them that an update will be released today. They added that they would appreciate if customers will contact them if anybody finds out any potential security risks that involve Dell computers.

In a report by The Verge earlier this year, pre-installed software that can be used by hackers to access personal data was discovered on Lenovo computers. Third party access can be possible if the Superfish software is installed in the device.

Lenovo admitted the adware mistake and said that it was there to obtain personal information for advertising purposes. Lenovo has since removed the software.

Meanwhile, a blog post from Dell officials mentioned the instructions on how to remove the eDellRoot certificate permanently from the device. A link where users can download the file was also provided.