Should you trust Secure-Finder.org search engine?
Secure-Finder.org virus, also known as Secure-Finder.com virus, is represented as a search engine and browser extension[1] that offers to protect your privacy while browsing the Internet. Developers claim they created a tool that differs from popular and well-known search engines because it cannot see user’s search logs[2] and do not create user’s profile. In other words, they give a chance to surf the Web anonymously for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari users. Secure Finder uses a “patent-pending process” allows detecting when you use “disrespectful” search engine and re-routs your search queries to its secure search results page. However, these so-called privacy-enhanced search results are delivered by Plusnetwork.com, which is known as a browser hijacker. The relationship between these two websites is suspicious and do not promise anything good. Indeed, this browser extension is also known as a potentially unwanted program and a browser hijacker. One of the main reasons why it is classified as a hijacker is its distribution method. Secure-Finder.org browser hijacker spreads bundled free applications that users can download from the Internet. Hence, they do not intentionally install this extension and find difficulties with its elimination.
After Secure-Finder.org hijack[3], users find out that this website replaced their current browser’s homepage and search engine. The problem is, hijacker prevents users from setting their preferred domains and rejects all their customizations. It happens because hijacker can install helper objects that protect it from simple elimination. However, Secure-Finder.org removal is still possible with strong anti-malware programs, such as FortectIntego. While this potentially unwanted application resides on your PC, you won’t be able to use any popular and reliable search engine. Even though this one claims to protect your searches and keeping away from your non-personally identifiable and personally identifiable[4] information, you should still do not trust them. It might deliver altered search results and include sponsored links instead of real and organic links. Usually, browser hijackers are created for boosting traffic to various websites or promoting them, and the easiest way to do it is to trick users into clicking links included in the search results. The problem is that these links might lead to the malicious websites[5] where your computer might be infected with ransomware, or you might be scammed. You should not let any application stay on your PC if it got inside the system without your knowledge. Therefore, remove Secure-Finder.org and choose more reliable search provider.

When did hijack occurred?
So-called Secure-Finder.org virus needs assistance to travel and get inside computers. Various free programs downloaded from the Internet helps it infiltrate careless users’ computers. Potentially unwanted applications are attached as optional programs in the software package. If users install new software using Recommended/Quick setup, they agree to install all extra apps. Indeed, it happens without their knowledge because installation wizard does not disclose about additional applications. However, if you choose Advanced/Custom setup, you can opt out all other unknown and suspicious programs that are suggested for you. All you have to do is not to rush through the setup because you might skip this important and have to deal with modifications in the browser and possible Secure-Finder.org redirect issues.
How to remove Secure-Finder.org from the PC?
The easiest way to remove Secure-Finder.org is to opt for automatic option and run a full system scan with professional malware removal program. Make sure that you update your chosen software before system scan. If you need advice what tool to choose, you can find our recommendations below. However, if you do not want to use additional software for Secure-Finder.org removal, you can opt for manual elimination option and delete browser hijacker from the program’s list. Don’t forget that it might have installed additional applications or browser extensions, so you should look up for unknown entries as well.
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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