Safesurfs.net virus hijack forces the user to try suspicious search services

Safesurfs virus is an untrustworthy search provider that uses a deceptive name for its domain. In reality, it is not entirely safe to search the Internet via this site. In particular, SafeSurfs is categorized as a browser hijacker[1] that alters settings in all browsers, so consciously avoiding it may not prevent you from seeing it load as your homepage or a default search engine one day.
Safesurfs.net redirect virus firstly picks victim's search query and transmits it to search.securefindersearch.com domain. From there, it connects to goto.searchpro.club domain and finally lands the victim on a page that provides modified Yahoo search results (Safer Browser Yahoo Search results). These results aren't considered trustworthy as they can contain links to promoted websites of unknown reputation.
The browser hijacker is able to spread together with other software, so the best thing you can do is to clean your computer with some reliable anti-spyware utility, such as FortectIntego. In addition, carefully pick the sources of your downloads. Besides taking over your browser, the virus may also annoy you with ads, redirect you to unfamiliar domains and keep a record of your browsing habits.
What dangers can these activities bring to your PC will be discussed later in the article, but if you stumbled upon our site specifically looking for Safesurfs.net removal recommendations, you can skip straight to the end of the article where you will find all the necessary information.
One of the most dangerous aspects of SafeSurfs hijack is the uncontrollable and unpredictable advertising. The sponsored ads and links are injected directly into the search results and on random web pages, diminishing the quality of the search and browsing experience.
Even if you are a fan of online deals and special offers, keep in mind that nothing that this hijacker promotes can be trusted. After clicking on any of the ads you may be immediately redirected to gambling sites and other insecure domains[2], thus it is advisable to avoid any interaction with the site.

On top of it all, Safesurfs.net virus may as well spy on you. Let it be the non-personal information that it keeps the record of, but once this data is collected, it becomes a property of the virus creators, can be sold or shared with other third-parties, and that should not be tolerated. That is why we recommend you to remove Safesurfs.net before even hitting the search button.
Protective measures to keep this hijacker away from your PC
As you have already found out, Safesurfs is a sneaky parasite and may enter the system undercover. Since the infection does not pose any direct harm to the computer, most users think that enabling your antivirus protection is enough to fend this virus off.
In reality, it takes more than that. The virus-fighting utility may delete the virus once it is on the computer, but it will not necessarily stop it from entering it in the first place. Because these infections travel in software packages with other software, it is necessary to keep an eye on what you are installing on your computer.
Only the Advanced/Custom options in the software’s setup allow such monitoring, so be sure you choose these setting when installing new software on your PC. Once you do that, do not forget to terminate the installation of potentially dangerous apps.
Our research shows that this browser hijacker rampages in India mostly. Computer users from this country are kindly invited to see cyber security tips provided by Varyarasa.in team[3].
Safesurfs.net removal isn't the easiest task
If you are new to the virus elimination, do not worry, Safesurfs.net removal is not a tough nut to crack. The infection can be eliminated manually or automatically.
The second option is your best choice if messing with viruses with your bare hands is the last thing you imagine yourself doing. This approach will require you to obtain some reliable antivirus software and run a scan of your system.
Also, there is always an alternative option to deal with potentially unwanted programs. You can remove Safesurfs.net virus manually. You will find the illustrated guide on how to do that below the article.
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.

Did this guide help?
3 comments
Enrico24
i got infected with adware while having Safesurfs installed on my PC... So much for the safe searches....
Hilbert Mawer
Nice looking site. Too bad its malicious. Why doesnt google make something like that?
bono
nice elimination guide.