Browse-Secure virus (Free Instructions) - Virus Removal Guide

Browse-Secure virus Removal Guide

What is Browse-Secure virus?

Browse Secure add-on harvests personal information from Facebook and LinkedIn

Image of Browse-Secure virus

Browse-Secure is dangerous Google Chrome extension that was available on Chrome Web Store for a while. This malicious extension promised to secure browsing sessions, but in fact, it stole information from user’s LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, including full name, contact details, and address.

Browser add-on is no longer available in Chrome store, but it is still being spread via compromised sites that display fake security alerts and offers to download Browse Secure to make browsing the web safe again. However, security experts warn that installation of add-ons promoted in such sites might lead to privacy-related issues.

The description of the Browse Secure browser hijacker promises to protect user’s online activities. Once it is installed on the device, it alters browser’s settings and might set modified Google’s startup page that includes a lock icon in the search box.

After entering queries into the search box, it initiates redirect to http://www.browse-secure.com/search?a=[extension_id]&q=[search_query] and lands on Google search. This activity allows tracking user’s interests and search keywords. This information is most likely to be used for marketing reasons.

Shady search redirect tendencies are not the main issue with the potentially unwnated program (PUP). The Browse-Secure virus was designed to steal personal information about users provided on Facebook and LinkedIn. After the installation, this malicious extension connects to the backend server in order to get needed rules to extract information from these links:

  • facebook.com/me/about
  • facebook.com/me/about?section=contact-info
  • facebook.com/settings
  • facebook.com/settings?tab=mobile
  • linkedin.com/psettings/email
  • linkedin.com/profile/edit-basic-info

Browse Secure virus steals the full name of a person, date of birth, gender, address, email address, and mobile number. Aggregated information is sent to the server and developers of the harmful extension. Currently, there is no information how this information is used. However, security experts assume that it might be needed for phishing attacks.

Users are advised to remove Browse-Secure from Chrome and computer immediately. This add-on puts your privacy at risk and might make your computer vulnerable. We highly recommend eliminating it with FortectIntego or another anti-malware. This method is especially useful if the hijacker was installed without your knowledge.

However, manual Browse-Secure removal method is available too. However, it’s not enough to uninstall add-on from Chrome. You will need to investigate the system and remove hijacker or spyware-related entries by following the guide below.

Example of Browse-Secure malwareBrowse Secure extension is designed to harvest information from social networks.

Browse-Secure.com site listed as insecure and harmful website

While the add-on was available in Chrome store, it was linked to Browse-Secure.com website. However, trying to reach this domain now gives a security warning. Chrome and Firefox warn about a deceptive site that contains malicious content. However, if you bypass this warning, you will end up on leadgen.chupashop.com website that offers to take Amazon’s gift card.[1]

But first, users are asked to enter their email address and confirm that they agree with Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and be positive about sharing their contact details with “carefully selected sponsors who may contact” them. Undoubtedly, agreeing with such statements is not a good idea.

However, after installation of malicious add-on, other promotional sites might provide their shady deals too. It goes without saying that you should not accept any of them and just remove Browse Secure to avoid security risks.

Tips to spot malicious browser extension

The Browse-Secure malware was available on the official Chrome Web Store. Unfortunately, criminals often manage to bypass the legit store and include their harmful apps.[2] Security experts from Los Virus[3] suggest following these security tips before downloading any browser extensions:

  • do not download extensions from websites that asks to install the add-on in order to leave;
  • do not install apps from security pop-ups;
  • always use legit stores;
  • read Terms of Agreements, Privacy Policy and other related information about the program and its developers;
  • check the information about the developers and extension outside the store. Even if it has lots of positive reviews, they might be fake. Thus, checking the info in external websites helps to find out the truth about a necessary app.

However, Browse-Secure hijack might also occur during the installation of freeware or shareware if you rely on Quick/Recommended settings. Instead of them, opt for Advanced/Custom setup and carefully follow the guide. If you receive pre-selected “optional downloads,” unmark those ticks to stop their installation.

Uninstall Browse Secure entirely

To remove Browse-Secure, you have to choose between manual and automatic elimination methods. If you feel confident in your computer skills and have plenty of time to investigate the system, you can opt for the first option. By following manual removal guide below, you should be able to get rid of the browser hijacker.

However, if you noticed that add-on is re-installed, you should switch to automatic Browse-Secure removal option and wipe out browser hijacker with reputable anti-malware. Reputable security tool will find and delete spyware’s leftovers.

You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.

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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of Browse-Secure virus. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

Follow these steps to look up for hijacker-related files and programs in Windows OS:

Instructions for Windows 10/8  machines:

  1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 1
  3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
  4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
  5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
  6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK. Uninstall from Windows 2

If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 7/XP
  3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
  4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
  5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
  6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Delete from macOS

Make sure that any components related to Browse-Secure haven't been installed to Mac OS X:

Remove items from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash) Uninstall from Mac 1

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files. Uninstall from Mac 2

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click on Uninstall at the bottom. Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear. Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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. Reset MS Edge

If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.

  1. Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  2. Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
  3. Right-click on them and pick Delete Advanced MS Edge reset 1
  4. Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  5. When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:

    Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose Advanced MS Edge reset 2

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now. Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset. Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

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

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear. Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information. Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox. Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Uninstall Browse-Secure for Chrome and reset the browser to use your browser safely (this time for sure!)

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

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

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings. Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall. Remove extensions from Safari

Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History. Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. Go to Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches. Reset Safari

After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Browse-Secure registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

How to prevent from getting stealing programs

Do not let government spy on you

The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet. 

You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.

Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.

Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack

Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.

When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.

About the author
Alice Woods
Alice Woods - Likes to teach users about virus prevention

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