Was Your Browser Hacked? How To Remove Browser Hijacking Malware

Ever wonder why Bing or Yahoo is suddenly your default browser? Browser hijackers literally hijack your internet browser and effectively slow down your device, serve you spammy ads and websites, and take over your internet activity.

A browser hijacker is adware, a type of malware, that’s designed to force you into visiting sites and viewing ads that you never asked for or wanted. Browser hijackers can sneakily get into your operating system via freeware or other download bundles.

The best antivirus software with anti-malware technology can both remove and help prevent browser hijackers. Below, we discuss what signs to look for to see if you’ve been infected, how to remove these unwanted programs, and preventative measures you can take.

How to get rid of a browser hijacker

There are several ways to remove browser hijackers, but using a reputable antivirus solution is the most effective. Since browser hijackers are malware, you can remove them with a malware removal program or an antivirus with malware removal tools. Luckily, most reputable antivirus products include malware removal.

Remove browser hijacker on PC

The best antivirus software for PCs will all have malware removal capabilities. To remove browser hijackers on your PC, take the following steps:

1. Sign up for an antivirus program for Windows.
2. Download the antivirus or antimalware.
3. Run a scan.
4. Quarantine and remove any malware or potentially unwanted applications.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Run another scan.
7. Repeat as many times as necessary until you run a clean scan without any issues.

Remove browser hijacker on Mac

Removing a browser hijacker on a Mac is the same as removing it on a PC. You’ll need one of the best antivirus programs for macOS, which can differ from the PC version because of Mac’s unique needs. Take the following steps:

1. Sign up for an antivirus program for macOS.
2. Download the antivirus or antimalware.
3. Run a scan.
4. Quarantine and remove any malware or potentially unwanted applications.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Run another scan.
7. Repeat as many times as necessary until you run a clean scan without any issues.

How does browser hijacking work?

A browser hijacker is malware, a more intense kind of computer virus. Once your system is infected, the malware takes control of your browser and sends you to sites you didn’t want to visit. Most of the time, the point is to get you to click on links and advertisements that wouldn’t normally be included in the search results for a legitimate search engine like DuckDuckGo, Brave, or Google. The hijacker then gets paid ad revenue for directing you to these sites and ads.

While this isn’t the kind of malware that will crash your computer or wipe your hard drive, it’s still predatory. There’s also the possibility that the hijacker will install trackers and keyloggers to aggregate data on you and steal your login credentials. All of this adds up to a payday for the hacker and a headache (or worse) for you.

If you’re wondering if you have a browser hijacker on your computer, consider some of the following examples:

Examples of browser hijackers

• Yahoo Search redirect virus: Redirects your default search to Yahoo.
• Bing redirect virus: Redirects your default search to Bing.
• Search Marquis: Redirects your searches to spammy or overly sponsored-looking sites.
• Chrome.exe virus: The Poweliks Trojan, which utilizes almost all your CPU usage while looking like a legitimate Google Chrome process.
• The Ask Toolbar: Comes bundled with other software downloads and changes your homepage and default search without permission.
• Coupon Server: It looks like a legit coupon extension but steals your data and tracks your internet activity. It usually comes bundled with other software and is installed without your permission.
• GoSave pop-up: This creates unwanted pop-ups and advertisements and opens new pages you didn’t request.
• CoolWebSearch: Installs unwanted bookmarks and desktop icons, considerably slowing your computer and internet connection.

8 signs you have a browser hijacker

Unlike some malware, browser hijackers have very distinct symptoms that are noticeable early on in the infection.

If your computer or internet connection slows, weird pop-ups plague your browsing, or your searches take you to results you didn’t intend, you may have a browser hijacker installed. Any time something happens on your computer that you didn’t initiate, you should consider the likelihood that you have a browser hijacker installed.

Some of the most common signs include:

1. Unauthorized browser default search engine or homepage changes: Your browser’s default search engine is not the one you initially set.
2. Slow loading browser: Websites, programs, and anything else using the internet take much longer to load than what seems normal.
3. Decreased PC performance: Your PC performance seems slow, inconsistent, or completely unusable.
4. Annoying pop-ups: Intrusive pop-ups that populate webpages you visit, where there normally wouldn’t be any.
5. Unfamiliar extensions, apps, or add-ons: Finding add-ons to your browser, desktop, apps, or extensions library that you didn’t intentionally download.
6. Website redirects: Being redirected to a site you didn’t choose when you try to go somewhere else.
7. Unwanted toolbars: New toolbars on your browser that you didn’t install and you don’t want.
8. Flagged search results: Google recognizes the fake search results and flags them as such when redirected by a browser hijacker.

8 tips for preventing browser hijacking

Like any malware, you can take preventative measures to avoid getting stuck with browser hijackers. The best advice we can give you is not to download software or files from the internet unless you’re 100% sure of the download source.

The next best advice we can give is to not click on any links or open any files from suspicious or unknown sources. Keeping an active antivirus with real-time protection on your computer will also help you avoid hijackers.

Here are all of our suggestions for preventing browser hijacking:

1. Use real-time antivirus protection. Real-time antivirus protection can help prevent all types of malware by blocking them before installation.
2. Use a secure browser. Secure browsers include Chrome, Safari, Edge, DuckDuckGo, Brave, Tor, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Opera.
3. Don’t download free software. Free software usually includes unwanted malware like adware, bloatware, or spyware as part of the download.
4. Only download extensions and apps from secure stores. Like free software, extensions from unsecure places can contain a lot of junk, like malware and browser hijackers.
5. Do not click on unsolicited or suspicious links. In general, do not click on unsolicited links. If you get a concerning email or text message, go to the actual website to see if there’s really a charge to your account or an issue with your services.
6. Do not download unsolicited or suspicious files. If you didn’t request a download or file from a reputable site, don’t install the download or click the file.
7. Keep your PC and antivirus software up to date. Software needs to be updated to protect you from new and emerging threats.
8. Set up scheduled malware scans. Make sure your antivirus software is regularly scanning your devices to catch anything that may have slipped past your defenses.

FAQs

Bottom line: Can you remove a browser hijacker?

You can absolutely remove browser hijackers. The easiest way to do that is with a reputable antivirus solution that includes anti-malware technology. You should also use one with real-time protection to help avoid getting any additional browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs, spyware, adware, and other internet nasties in the future.

If you’re looking for some of the best antivirus software on the market, we’ve reviewed them all. These programs can help you remove stubborn malware as well as prevent it. Through good practices and reputable software, you can tackle any problems that might try to download their way onto your device.