What is the Yahoo Search Engine?

Yahoo is one of the first search engines that appeared on the Internet. In 1995, it was initially introduced as a search mechanism for cataloging the websites recommended by Yahoo. Further, they applied for a partnership with Inktomi and then Google. That allowed Yahoo to become much more popular. In 2003, they added a full-fledged web crawling service that extended the search results. However, in 2004 Google managed to outpace Yahoo by market share. Now it is just a part of niche services offered by Yahoo.

Besides its 100% benevolent nature, there are cases when users uncover that Yahoo is set as their search engine by force. Changing it to the one you used does not help – it will be switched back to Yahoo almost immediately. Searching with such settings is likely not comfortable because the results differ from what you expect. And the most unpleasant thing is that someone earns money for you with such changes.

How Does That Work?

Seeing your search engine constantly changed to Yahoo means that you have a malicious program on your computer. Such programs are usually identified as browser hijackers. As you can guess from their name, , they take control of your web browser without your allowance. They can change any setting in the infected browser, including the search engine, redirect search queries, open the websites and start the browser whenever it wants. The crooks control all this activity and designate all changes and redirects that malware does.

The exact form of that malware may be different. Most browser hijackers are tiny programs that sit deep on the disk. Throughout the last couple of years, they massively opted for the guise of a browser plugin. That makes the malware implementation much easier, and formally such plugins do not violate any rules – the user allows it to do all these nasty things during the installation.

Is the Yahoo Search in Chrome Dangerous?

There is no direct danger browser hijackers bring to your system. But since it can throw you on the website it wants, you may easily fall victim to phishing or unintentionally trigger the malware downloading. Same-quality crooks often make sites advertised by crooks, so the chance of seeing a legit site after the redirect is pretty low. Scam sites like Pornographic Virus Alert from Microsoft also appear among these redirections.

Besides the possibility of being scammed in such a way, you may also get your personal information stolen. In the cases when malware is spread as a browser hijacker, it asks you to give access to cookie files and browser history. Those two categories are pretty valuable for selling the data to third parties. Besides that, cookies may contain the login credentials in the unciphered form – that is just a gift for cybercriminals.

How Did I Get the Malware?

As I have mentioned before, browser hijackers may have different forms. Web browser plugin, “PC optimiser”, rogue – choose what you want. While all this diversity is hard to compare when you don’t know about the internal things, the externals – exactly how they are distributed- are most likely the same. Crooks who spread hijackers usually try to bait the user into installing the malware under something useful. Usually, such stuff is found on online forums, abandoned sites that were hacked, and advertisements.

Any advertised offers that look too generous or contain statements baiting you to click on them must not be trusted. Only God knows what will happen – redirection, malware downloading, or even throwing you to the exploit page. It is better not to choose at all – I recommend you avoid clicking such things. It is one of the most basic principles of cyber hygiene – don’t ignore it!

Remove Yahoo Search from Chrome

Most modern malware creates enough hitches in your system to make it harder to remove. Browser hijackers are not an exclusion. Users may delete some of the files, leaving the other part untouched. And the virus manages to recover its files using the rest of them. Detecting all malware parts is a thankless job. That’s why I’d advise you to use anti-malware software. Reverting the changes in the web browser is much easier, so I will show you how to reset your Chrome browser.

Anti-malware programs can find all malware parts by checking the paths specified in their code. Therefore, using a well-done antivirus that will detect and wipe all the files of browser hijackers is a perfect way to get rid of the latter. I will recommend GridinSoft Anti-Malware as the program that will 100% complete this task. Download it from our official website.

You can try out the full functionality of GridinSoft Anti-Malware during a 6-day free trial. After the app installation, you will be offered to type your nickname and email address to receive a free trial code. It will arrive right in your email after passing these steps. Without it, you can still scan your devices and reset the browsers but can’t remove the detects.

Reset Your Chrome Browser Settings

• Most of the contemporary browsers have the same reset steps. Chrome is not an exclusion; it is a trendsetter for the rest programs in this class. Go to Settings, and find there the Reset and Clean Up submenu.

• In it, click on the Restore settings to their original defaults. That will call the appearance of the pop-up window.

• In that pop-up window, accept the settings resetting. Then, your browser will be as good as the newly installed.

The post Yahoo Search: How to Remove Yahoo from Chrome? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Many people don’t realize it but using public Wi-Fi puts you at a great risk of losing confidentiality of your data and many other unpleasant consequences of poor cyber hygiene. A wireless access point (WAP) or just access point (AP) allows you to connect as many as possible wifi devices to a wired network.

The danger comes from within. In all public places like hotel rooms, public transport, libraries, coffee shops, restaurants, airports, shopping malls, etc. often lack some important security measures. And we are not talking here only about passwords. 

Why is Public Wi-Fi Insecure?

The public Wi-Fi network can be considered insecure for several reasons that can lead to further compromise of your device and data. Any public wifi will surely have some of them that you should be aware of in order to have some countermeasures already prepared in case you would need to use a public wifi network. You also would not necessarily have some of them immediately but rather when there’s one then here comes the another. Using tips and tricks you will be able to protect yourself and use public Wi-Fi safely. To be short, here are the reasons why it is important to secure your Wi-Fi network:

1. Theft of personal information. If you get hacked on any public wifi network the most serious loss could be of your personal info including banking logins, social security number, etc. Once a threat actor manages to obtain some of them they can infer further damage to you.
2. Potential cyberattacks. We mean here the risk of getting malware that depending on the nature of it can also bring no less “pleasant” consequences. It can be something like an infostealer or trojan but sometimes other interesting representatives of this specific fauna.
3. Unencrypted connection. Some websites have unencrypted connections that puts a user on the public wifi to significant risk.
4. You don’t control network network security settings. You have not set up passwords and also don`t know if there`s encryption in place.
5. Outdated router software. If it’s outdated then there’s a huge amount of exploits for anyone willing to go after your device and data.
6. Misconfigured Wi-Fi routers. Configuration means setting general wifi router settings like LAN (Local Area Network) Setting, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Setting, WAN (Wide Area Network) Setting, etc. For those threat actors who would know how to exploit any of the security breaches in one of these elements, misconfiguration of them gives an excellent try.

IMPORTANT: The Emotet Trojan tries to spread through available Wi-Fi networks¹. Once it finds an available network, Emotet tries to guess the credentials to access it. If the attempt is successful, the malware searches the new network for all Windows machines that might also be infected.

Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi

How to use Wi-Fi for free and keep your data private² is a very important topic to research. If you are intrested how exactly you can get hacked while using public wifi then it`s the next “challenge” for threat actors:

• You can get your session hijacked. During a session between your computer and some website an attacker can intercept the connection and pretend to be on the backend of the website you were connecting to. Because you’ve already logged in the attacker can have all the access, for example, to your banking account.
• You can get infected with a malware³. If you use public wifi you put yourself at a risk of a malware infection. It can be ads on the websites you visit that usually don’t have ads or it can be a much more serious threat like some info stealer.
• You can have your packet sniffed. It may sound funny but actually it’s not as funny as you’d think. In simple words anyone that is on the same connection as you can view what you are transmitting over the wifi network. Of course it’s possible if the connection is unencrypted, which in most cases is true for the public wifis.
• You can become victim of a Man-In-The-Middle Attack. When conducting this type of an attack the threat actor will set their own hotspot similar to the one, for example, of a hotel you`re currently staying in. The hotel named their wifi WellSleep but the attacker`s could be named WellSleap. Everything you will do while connecting to this fake public wifi will be on the attacker`s computer like login information,personal info, passwords, etc. Pay attention to this so that you can use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats.

Protect Your Information: Use Public Wi-Fi Safely

We’d say it’s better to use your own smartphone as a hotspot but if it can`t  be an option then a user should stick to some security measures to have safe and secure usage of public wifi. In all their bad light public wifis can sometimes really help you when you urgently need to connect to some website or just check the currently needed information. Don`t forget to use them every time you decide to connect to any public Wi-fi in a hotel or airport:

1) Use Antivirus. The most basic thing of today`s cyber hygiene. Use a special antivirus solution to protect your device in case of a malware cyber attack. Also don’t forget to check if you will be running the latest version of an antivirus solution. Set an alert for any future malware encroaching on your device`s safety and security. One of the profitable and working methods is Gridinsoft Anti-malware.

2) Also use a firewall. Firewall doesn’t allow any external threats to come to your system. It can be considered a complete protection but having one on the security guard of your device won’t be a waste of time and effort. You already have the inbuilt firewall in your system just go to check if it’s enabled or not. This is one of the recommendations that will help you use public Wi-Fi safely.  

3) Use HTTPS.  If you don’t use VPN then it’s very important for you to look only for those sites that have the encryption in place. The encryption means that the connection between the web server and browser is secured and no one except you can access the shared data. Most browsers will have a padlock to show that the connection on this website is secured.

4) Use  Virtual Private Network.  A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you anonymously to surf through the internet without anyone knowing your actual location. The tool also helps you to encrypt your data traffic so when you are using an unencrypted connection on some website your data will be secured. It creates a protected tunnel that your data will be passing through making it unobtainable by threat actors. Using a VPN will help you use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats to your personal data. 

5) Verify public wifi network,  configure it and turn off sharing option. Before you connect to any public wifi network go and ask for the right name for it. Check with an employee if that is the right wifi hotspot you are looking for. If you have this set then put the important for your safety security settings like disable sharing file option, right after you are done working with the public wifi network put the optin forget it so you won’t be automatically connecting to it once you will come to the place again. 

6) Don’t access or send any sensitive data. To be hundred percent sure your highly sensitive data won’t get exposed while you are using a public wifi network it will be better not to work with it at all. Simply because you don`t know for sure if the apps you are using don’t have any flaws themselves that will allow threat actors to access your sensitive data. 

7) Use 2-Factor Authentication. In case a threat actor will manage somehow to obtain your login information they still could not use it. Because in this security method apart from entering your login information you will also have to enter a code sent to your phone to additionally check your identity. Any website that deals with highly sensitive information will have this one that works as a secondary authentication method.

8) Pay attention to any warnings arisen. Always attend to any notifications that will appear on your phone as they might indicate the compromise of your device, let it be fake notifications created by malware or the actual system alert. The same goes for the websites because most browsers will warn before you proceed to the website you want to visit. Don’t just be careless and instead be your own first security guard. 

8) Install browser add-ons or plug-ins that will help you to boost the security. You can use special add-ons in your browser to help you with the encryption of website connection. For example in the Firefox browser you can install HTTPS-Everywhere and Force-TLS that makes the browser apply the encryption on popular websites that don’t have it. But they do not work on every website so you still have to look for the padlock in the address bar. 

The post How To Use Public Wi-Fi Safely: Risks To Watch Out For appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Alas!

The browser starts to act stupid, redirecting and taking you places filled with creepy adverts or worse yet, issuing warnings of possible harm if you don’t “Update Your Flash Player.” And while the naïve would likely fall for the trap, smart and tech-savvy individuals may automatically note the adware running in the background. But as ubiquitous as the phenomenon is, adware attacks are a discreet way cyber criminals are using to make money off the unsuspecting.

Though it is probably the most popular way of telling that you are under attack, there are other subtle and perhaps less ferocious cyber attacks. There’s a form of adware gradually going mainstream. Besides redirecting, the virus goes ahead and alters your default search engine to something weird.

You start your PC, ready to browse the web, but once you key in whatever you need to search the web, you are redirected to a page with bizarre search results. It happens often and hurts the unsuspecting!

Pop-ads are yet another sign your computer is under an immense adware attack.

Simple as they appear, these pop-ads can be a source of immense misery, hurt your typical browsing habits and perhaps steal valuable data as you browse.

Many other times, these malicious occurrences make the PC act slower than it normally does, including lowering the average browsing speed and how the computer executes simple tasks. Of course, the phenomenon becomes more suspicious when you note the occurrence yet your PC doesn’t have a heavy program running or when you’re connected to a fast internet.

How Adware Works

Generally, these malicious tools are embedded into ‘free-ware’ or pirated software and act as part of a bundle of payment to the proprietor of the freely downloaded software.

Adware is simple software that comes with integrated advertising materials, including those that trigger redirects and pop-ups.

Mostly, the adware is activated whenever the tool that it is embedded in runs and the PC is connected to the internet.

At the moment, many software developers offer their products as “sponsored software” so that the ad pays for the free services provided. It is a pretty common type of adware and may continue until the user pays to register and thus unlock the ad off the software.

Regardless of how they work, these malicious attacks are very much annoying. Pop-ads waste a lot of time, while redirects and the slowing down of the PC hurt the ordinary performance of the computer. Aside from these, adware can set the stage for various other attacks, including spyware, ransomware and virus attacks.

How to avoid Adware

Tip #1 Never click any suspicious-looking pop-up windows and ads
Tip #2 Don’t answer or reply unsolicited emails and messages
Tip #3 Exercise utmost caution when downloading free software applications

Above all, invest in the best malware removal software. GridinSoft Anti-Malware does a great job!

The post Adware Everywhere: Who Knows What Is Happening? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

What Is Adware And Is It As Lethal As The Other Malicious Programs?

Adware or ad-sponsored software could be subtly harmless or aggravatingly consistent and deadly, depending on a couple of factors.

Mostly, the program is designed to benefit the marketer by collecting information regarding the target’s preferences. But that’s not where their work stops!

It will embark on removing all browser’s restrictions, change programs and browser setting and even alter the most preferred home page, all these happening without the PC owner’s consent. It would sound like a joke until endless and annoying ads pop-up out of nowhere.

However, some Adware programs are rather tolerable, primarily serving as the direct channel to deliver sales messages without those bothersome features. Software like Skype comes with adware in the form of embedded adverts, and they are specifically there to aid in the cost of development. Upon purchasing the premium version, ads are done away with altogether.

More lethal and irksome types that do all kinds of ills, from changing the browser’s default search engine to issuing stupid warnings to trick into buying an item exist. These far more insidious types don’t ask for permission to portray an ad. Typically, they thrive in illegal websites and display all kinds of ad banners, pop-ups, and other bizarre information, often in a more forceful manner.

At least, there are six different and terrifying ways cunning marketers are using to promote and showcase their items. Some of the most prevalent forms of adware include:

1. Numerous, intimidating ads and banners that cover the entire web page or blur the relevant information.
2. In-text ads with information – they tend to appear in-between the page.
3. Automatic video adverts that start to play once the page is opened.
4. Redirects from the main browser page – you are redirected to a particular web store and prompted to buy an item.
5. Pop-ups and pop-unders – you’re led to an online store or a blank page and teased that you’ve won a lottery so that you can submit your details.
6. Couponware, Reminderware, Loyaltyware, PPV, CPV, PopUps, Pop Unders, interruptive, interstitials.

Scammers are scheming and usually target import details such as the computer’s IP address, email address, names, credit card information and other personal data. All of them will be auctioned off to third-party marketers for a colossal sum of money. Quite honestly, adware programs are virtually infinite, and it get’s quite hard to stop all of them. However, just ensure you’ve got a premium, reputable anti-malware software.

The post 6 Terrifying Samples How Marketers Use Adware appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.