Why Secure-surf.com virus is dangerous?
Secure-surf.com may look like a regular search engine, but the truth is, it is not a reliable one. Besides, ask yourself if it was you who set it as your homepage? If the answer is no, it means your computer has been hijacked by Secure-surf.com virus. Although technically it cannot cause damage to your computer system, it disrupts the normal functionality of the web browser and causes annoyance by serving numerous web advertisements. In this article, we are going to explain why Secure-surf.com browser hijacker acts like that and what are the reasons to remove it from your computer.
Secure-surf.com browser hijacker is sometimes referred to as Secure-surf.com redirect virus. Once installed, it switches homepage and new tab page address to Secure-surf.com and also sets Secure-surf search engine as the primary one in your web browser. If you try to search via it, you will soon notice that Secure-surf.com redirects you to shady Internet sites more often than opens corresponding websites once you click on the search results. You are also going to be introduced to Secure-surf.com ads, which are going to show up on the left side next to the search results. Be aware that this potentially unwanted program might also send you “ads by Secure-surf.com” or “powered by Secure-surf.com” pop-up ads, and it is advisable not to click on them. The main reason not to click on them is that they are sponsored by unclear reputation third-parties, and while some of these ads can lead you to secure websites, others can redirect you to infectious web pages. 
Another confusing fact about Secure-surf.com redirect virus is that it collects some information about the computer user. It collects information such as what browser you use, how much time you spend using Secure-surf.com service, what websites do you visit, what search queries you make, what is your computer IP address and geolocation. This information allows it to serve targeted and catchy-looking adverts and sponsored search results for the PC user. If you do not want your data to be tracked, and if you do not want to see Secure-surf.com ads anymore, you should remove Secure-surf.com from your computer immediately. You can do it with FortectIntego anti-malware software, or manually. You can find Secure-surf.com removal guide on page 2.
How did Secure-surf.com hijack your PC and how to prevent it from happening in the future?
Although it may seem that this browser hijacker has appeared on your computer out of nowhere, the truth is that it has as probably been installed on your PC with any other program. Most of the obnoxious programs tend to sneak into your computer without your knowledge and do their nasty deeds behind your back. Secure-surf.com has probably been bundled with some freeware or shareware you have recently downloaded. This should make you consider the style in which you are installing new programs. You should always, we cannot emphasize enough, always choose Custom or Advanced mode and check whether there are no additional options that you should deselect and thus avoid stealth installation of third-party applications.
Secure-surf.com removal instructions
To uninstall Secure-surf.com virus, run a system scan with a trustworthy anti-malware software. Let it detect all potentially unwanted programs as well as critical computer threats for you, and then just select which ones you want to remove. It is also recommended to keep the anti-malware program on the computer to protect it from virus attacks. However, if you are not looking for computer security software, you can remove Secure-surf.com browser hijacker manually. You should take a look at the guide provided below and follow each step carefully to fix Secure-surf.com redirect issue for good. If you cannot uninstall it, or if you have other questions about this PUP, do not hesitate and send a question for the 2-Spyware support team.
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.
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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