Cloud based reputation system for browser settings

1. A method comprising:

determining reputation ratings for each of a plurality of browser setting values by applying statistical methods to historical browser setting data from a globally unique identifier (GUID) database;

maintaining in a non-transitory machine-readable medium a set of one or more disreputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof and a set of one or more reputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof; and

in response to determining, by one or more processors, that a browser setting value of one or more installed browsers has been set to a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values, performing operations comprising:

presenting a notification that the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers is a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values, and

presenting one or more options for the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers, wherein the one or more options are in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a browser setting value of the plurality of browser setting values to the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values based, at least in part, on the determined reputation rating of the browser setting value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the statistics of the statistical methods include one or more of: a user counter associated with the browser setting value, an average time associated with the browser setting value, a reset factor associated with the browser setting value, a comeback counter associated with the browser setting value, or a toolbar factor associated with the browser setting value.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the average time based, at least in part, on an average amount of time the browser setting value is maintained before being reset to a different value.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the reset factor based, at least in part, on a number of users that reset the browser setting to a browser setting value in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values following the notification.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the comeback counter based, at least in part, on a number of users that return to the browser setting value after a reset of the browser setting.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the browser setting comprises one of a default search provider for a browser or a home page for the browser.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an updated value for the browser setting, the updated value comprising at least one of the one or more options for the browser setting;

updating the browser setting with the updated value; and

confirming that updating the browser setting was successful.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

determine reputation ratings for each of a plurality of browser setting values by applying statistical methods to historical browser setting data from a globally unique identifier (GUID) database,

maintain a set of one or more disreputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof and a set of one or more reputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof, and

in response to a determination that a browser setting value of one or more installed browsers has been set to a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values:

present a notification that the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers is a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values, and

present one or more options for the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers, wherein the one or more options are in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the browser setting value is included in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values based, at least in part, on the determined reputation rating of the browser setting value.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the statistics of the statistical methods include one or more of: a user counter associated with the browser setting value, an average time associated with the browser setting value, a reset factor associated with the browser setting value, a comeback counter associated with the browser setting value, or a toolbar factor associated with the browser setting value.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the average time is based, at least in part, on an average amount of time the browser setting value is maintained before being reset to a different value.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the reset factor is based, at least in part, on a number of users that reset the browser setting to a browser setting value in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values following the notification.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the comeback counter is based, at least in part, on a number of users that return to the browser setting value after a reset of the browser setting.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the browser setting comprises one of a default search provider for a browser or a home page for the browser.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

receive an updated value for the browser setting, the updated value comprising at least one of the one or more options for the browser setting;

update the browser setting with the updated value; and

confirm that the update to the browser setting was successful.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine reputation ratings for each of a plurality of browser setting values by applying statistical methods to historical browser setting data from a globally unique identifier (GUID) database,

maintain a set of one or more disreputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof and a set of one or more reputable browser setting values of the plurality of browser setting values based on the determined reputation ratings thereof, and

in response to a determination that a browser setting value of one or more installed browsers has been set to a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values:

present a notification that the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers is a value in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values, and

present one or more options for the browser setting value of the one or more installed browsers, wherein the one or more options are in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the browser setting value is included in the set of one or more disreputable browser setting values based, at least in part, on the determined reputation rating of the browser setting value.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the statistics of the statistical methods include one or more of: a user counter associated with the browser setting value, an average time associated with the browser setting value, a reset factor associated with the browser setting value, a comeback counter associated with the browser setting value, or a toolbar factor associated with the browser setting value.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the average time is based, at least in part, on an average amount of time the browser setting value is maintained before being reset to a different value.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the reset factor is based, at least in part, on a number of users that reset the browser setting to a browser setting value in the set of one or more reputable browser setting values following the notification.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the comeback counter is based, at least in part, on a number of users that return to the browser setting value after a reset of the browser setting.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the browser setting comprises one of a default search provider for a browser or a home page for the browser.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an updated value for the browser setting, the updated value comprising at least one of the one or more options for the browser setting;

update the browser setting with the updated value; and

confirm that the update to the browser setting was successful.