Keep It Secure does not protect your privacy or provide a secure browsing experience
Keep It Secure is a browser hijacker that changes the main browser settings. It redirects users' queries through keepitsecure.today to Yahoo. While this may not look like a big deal, such applications can cause quite a lot of issues. First of all, users are forced to use only selected channels for browsing which raises many user privacy and security concerns.
The next thing is that web-based applications can monitor users' browsing activities. Some hijackers can also cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, surveys, and redirects. Crooks can generate revenue from your clicks[1] and your data. What is more, they could be using rogue advertising networks that place ads leading to dangerous websites.
Security experts recommend clearing cookies[2] and cache regularly. Cookies can store information such as your IP address, geolocation, websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online. This data can later be sold to the same advertising networks or other third parties. Having a maintenance tool like FortectIntego helps by automating the process of cookie removal.
The extension also does not provide any benefits. The name of the plugin implies that the add-on should help your browsing remain secure but that could not be further from the truth. We urge you to follow this guide to learn more about browser hijackers and how to get rid of them.
| NAME | Keep It Secure |
| TYPE | Browser hijacker; potentially unwanted program |
| SYMPTOMS | The main settings of the browser get changed, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine |
| DISTRIBUTION | Shady websites, deceptive ads, software bundling |
| DANGERS | The extension may lead to dangerous websites; display misinformation, inaccurate search results; track browsing, and collect data |
| ELIMINATION | Remove the extension by going to your browser settings |
| FURTHER STEPS | Use FortectIntego to fix any remaining damage and optimize the machine |
Browser hijacker promotional tricks
You may be wondering how this application ended up on your machine. Well, some users could have installed it willingly, thinking that they are getting a useful tool. Often, fraudsters create separate promotional websites for plugins like Keep It Secure. They write about all the non-existing features and try to convince people to install the app.
Sometimes they also use social engineering techniques[3] and claim that if users do not download the extension, their access to the Internet will be blocked or their system is going to crash. You should never believe messages that try to scare you into installing some kind of software.
Such promotional pages are spread through the Internet as well as possible. That is why you should avoid suspicious-looking pages, clicking on random links, and visiting websites that engage in illegal activities. If a new tab opens up after you click some button, close that tab and do not interact with the page.
Some browser hijackers can also slip through the extensive review process that official web stores perform. You should always do your research, no matter where you are downloading the digital tools from. Read the reviews, look at the ratings and the number of users. Pick those add-ons, that have plenty of feedback, and thousands of users.
Remove the bogus extension
You can remove browser add-ons by going to your settings. Find the list of extensions installed in your browser and remove the Keep It Secure plugin. We show how to do that in the guide below:
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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
MS Edge (Chromium)
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Mozilla Firefox
- 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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Safari
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Potentially unwanted programs should be eliminated
Sometimes removing only the extension is ineffective, and users still continue to experience unwanted symptoms. In that case, you will probably have to scan your machine for adware which is a program that hides in the background of the machine and generates commercial content. If you are infected, simply removing the add-on will not be enough. The settings will keep changing until you completely eliminate it from your machine.
One of the most common methods that PUAs are spread is through freeware installation sites. The technique is known as software bundling[4] and is very effective as most people rush through the installation process and skip all the steps. If you want to avoid that in the future, it is important to be present during the installation:
- Always choose “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods
- Read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use to find out what information will be collected and what the application will be allowed to do in your system
- The most important part is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any items that you think are suspicious or unrelated
The program that is causing the erratic behavior could have any name or icon because crooks often disguise them as “handy” tools. If you are not sure what to do and you do not want to risk deleting the wrong files, we suggest using SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes anti-malware tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a PUP can make any changes. If manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
Windows 10/8:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Mac:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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