The Browser Hijack Threat !

 

What Is A Browser Hijacker

A browser hijacker is a malicious program usually a web browser plug in that modifies web browser settings in order to change your default home, search or error page and then to redirect a user to undesirable Internet sites. A browser hijacker also can record all web pages the user visits and send gathered information out through a background Internet connection. Practically all browser hijackers are created for commercial, advertising or marketing purposes. Most parasites are very similar to spyware/ adware threats. They are installed without explicit user consent and often attempt to obstruct their removal, all browser hijackers are harmful and are a security and privacy risk.

Ways To Get An Infection

Browser hijackers do differ from normal viruses, they do not spread by themselves and must be installed as any other software with or without the users consentt. There are three ways that an unsolicited parasites can get into your computer system.

1. Usually browser hijackers are installed by unsafe freeware, shareware or advertising-supported programs such as various browser add-ons or toolbars. Even reputable AOL products like AOL Instant Messenger can change default web browser settings. Uninstalling the host application in most cases doesn't remove bundled parasite.
2. Lots of spyware and adware parasites have integrated browser hijackers that get silently installed during the host parasite's installation process. Removing a particular spyware or adware doesn't affect a browser hijacker.
3. Some widely spread browser hijackers get into the system using Internet Explorer ActiveX controls or exploiting certain web browser vulnerabilities. Their authors run insecure web sites (mostly with pornographic or illegal advertising content) filled with malicious code or distribute unsafe advertising pop-ups. Whenever a user visits such a site or clicks on such a pop-up, harmful scripts instantly install a parasite. A user cannot notice anything suspicious, as browser hijackers do not display any setup wizards, dialogs or warnings.

It is known that some browser hijackers are dropped by specific viruses, worms or trojans, these parasites mostly affect Microsoft Internet Explorers web browser, some less prevalent threats are designed to compromise other popular browsers.

What A Browser Hijacker Does

1. Changes web browser's default home page to a particular web site without asking for user permission.
2. Changes web browser's default search page to a predetermined web site without user consent.
3. Sets own error page instead of web browser's default one, which is displayed when the entered web site address is not valid.
4. Redirects a web browser to a predefined site whenever the user enters invalid address or performs an Internet search.
5. Modifies essential web browser settings, decreases default security level and adds undesirable or insecure resources to the Trusted sites list.
6. Creates numerous links to advertising pages, places desktop shortcuts to marketing sites, adds multiple bookmarks to the web browser's Favorites list.
7. Tracks user's web browsing habits, records addresses of visited sites and sends collected data to a remote server.
8. Complicates usual web surfing, blocks some reputable Internet resources, opens different web sites instead of requested ones.
9. Degrades overall web browser stability and performance. Some parasites are badly programmed, they waste too much computer resources and conflict with installed applications.
10. Provides no uninstall feature and hides from the user in order to obstruct its removal as much as possible.

Most browser hijackers turn a users web browsing into a nightmare, popular visited sites are blocked, the web browsers security is set on the minimum level, Internet searches do not go through powerful search engines and required information cannot be accessed. All these problems are a common consequences of a browser hijack, a typical parasite severely complicates a users work and decreases productivity.

Browser hijackers also affect the system and installed software on a users computer system, parasites cause web browser instability issues, frequent errors and overall performance problems. Some reputable applications and browser plug-ins may be also affected by browser hijacker activity. Some parasites violate user privacy, they disclose a users personal information to advertisers and even hackers. Malicious people can use browser hijackers to track user activity on the Internet to find out their victims name, contact information and even steal your identity data, which then can be used for unclear purposes.

Browser hijackers that are associated with pornographic resources set adult web sites as home or search pages, such behavior not only shocks a user but also may cause some serious troubles. There are real examples of people who have lost their jobs because of explicit content found on their computers at work.

How To Remove The Browser Hijacker

As above most browser hijackers are quite similar to the spyware/ adware threat and therefore cannot be removed with the help of popular antivirus products, to remove them special antispyware tools (spyware removers) should be used. These programs scan the system in similar way as antivirus software does, antispyware tools have special parasite signature database which will allow them to detect and eliminate most of these risks. Powerful spyware removers include real time monitors that prevent the installation of known risks and unauthorized system modification. The most effective and popular anti spyware programs are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Spybot - Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware SE. Other programs such as HijackThis or CWShredder are designed spesificly to detect and remove browser hijackers, and a number of these programs can be downloaded from the software page for free.