Search.yourspeedtesthub.com – misleading search engine that promotes suspicious apps

Search.yourspeedtesthub.com is yet another doubtful search engine[1] developed and distributed by infamous Polarity Technologies Ltd. Although it legitimate, cyber security experts[2]have assigned it to potentially unwanted program (PUP) and browser hijacker categories due to the following reasons:
- It spreads via software bundles;
- Once installed corrupts web browser’s settings;
- Displays suspicious search results;
- Promotes dubious third-party apps;
- May display pop-up and other ads;
- Initiates redirects to potentially dangerous web domains;
- Uses cookies for the collection of browsing-related information.
When the user agrees to install this search engine, usually inadvertently because he or she does not check Advanced installation setup, the default start page is forcefully changed to http://search.yourspeedtesthub.com/ and search engine to Your Speed Test Hub. From the initial inspection, it doesn’t seem suspicious as it contains a search tab and quick access link (Amazon, Gmail, Youtube, Facebook). Nonetheless, some of them are potentially dangerous apps for testing PC’s speed (OpenSpeedTest).
Apart from some doubtful links on the start page, the Search.yourspeedtesthub.com redirect virus can promote altered search results. Although Yahoo based, its search results may contain links to suspicious or even phishing websites. The only way to prevent accessing them is a complete Search.yourspeedtesthub.com removal.
The removal of browser hijackers, in general, is an important task to implement without delay due to the risk of information leakage.[3] Search.yourspeedtesthub.com search may employ tracking cookies and perpetually transmit browsing-related information, including IP address, email address, search queries, etc. to affiliated parties. In some rare cases, full name, telephone number, home address and geographical location are also leaked.

People may encounter Search.yourspeedtesthub.com redirects by clicking on the pop-up, banner or other types of ads. Some of them may promote OpenSpeedTest or other unknown software, while the others may feature tips on how to lose weight or win valuable prizes. Anyway, the content hasn’t been tested by security experts, so any contact with links or ads may have devastating consequences to your PC’s performance and safety.
To minimize the risk of malware or severe virus infiltration, you should remove Search.yourspeedtesthub.com search asap. The most reliable way to do so is to use FortectIntego or another professional anti-malware tool. If nevertheless, you prefer regular removal methods, you can find manual Your Speed Test Hub removal instructions.
Malware spreads silently
Unlike severe computer infections, such as Trojan, Spyware, Ransomware, Keyloggers, and so on, the distribution of browser hijackers and other PUPs is rather predictable. In some cases, people fall for appealing PUP descriptions and install them purposely from official websites, but usually, they agree with PUP installation inattentively.
Such scenario may happen during the installation of free programs. Developers of infamous browser extensions, add-ons, and toolbars pay money to freeware developers for a possibility to attach their “free products.” If the agreement takes place, a single freeware installer becomes a software bundle. The only way to prevent its installation is to select Advanced or Custom installation method instead of Quick.
To keep the system safe, it’s a must to have a professional anti-malware installed and updated regularly. Besides, be careful with doubtful freeware download sources, peer-to-peer networks, torrent, and other places where malware can be distributed.
Search.yourspeedtesthub.com removal tutorial
Resetting web browser is not sufficient to remove Search.yourspeedtesthub.com virus completely. You will also have to access Control Panel and delete all unknown or suspicious programs. Note that the date when PUPs related to Search.yourspeedtesthub.com hijack have been installed should coincide, so be careful and get rid of all suspicious apps. You can find a full removal tutorial down below.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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