Secure Way browser extension (virus)
Secure Way browser extension Removal Guide
What is Secure Way browser extension?
Secure Way is a browser hijacker that can read data on your visited websites
Secure Way can change your default search engine
Secure Way is a browser hijacker[1] capable of manipulating your search engine. It changes your homepage to a different one and alters your default search provider. Add-ons like this can be distributed on trustworthy web stores such as “Chrome Web Store” by making it seem that it adds a lot of value for the user when in reality, it gives little to no benefit. Adding this extension to your browser makes it vulnerable to unwanted modifications.
Browser extensions can be very useful for surfing the web, making tasks that normally require more time get achieved quicker. On the other hand, some browser additions can be malicious – they can read personal information such as passwords or credit cards.
Some can change important settings inside your search engine and send collected data back to developers, advertisers, or third parties without you knowing. Nonetheless, most browser hijackers only read non-personal information – this might also be a certain privacy breach, however.
The main objective of hijackers is to make the extension look as appealing as possible so that people would willingly add it to their browser themselves. Then hopefully, after downloading the add-on, the user will grant the application a variety of different permissions. Without reading them, users might not realize they had let Secure Way change their search settings to search.secureway.club. From that point on, many people might be confused when suddenly their default search engine becomes a different one.
Name | Secure Way |
---|---|
Type | Browser hijacker, search hijacker |
Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites, deceptive ads, fake Flash Player updates |
Symptoms | Installed unknown browser extension or application; possible homepage and new tab address changes; redirects to ad-filled, scam, phishing, and other dangerous websites |
Dangers | Redirects to malicious websites can result in unwanted site notifications, personal information disclosure to unknown parties (cybercriminals), monetary losses, installation of other potentially unwanted programs/malware |
Elimination | To get rid of unwanted extensions manually, you can follow our removal guide below. If the unwanted ads and other disruptive behavior does not stop, you should scan your computer with security software and delete all threats automatically |
Further steps | Malware or adware infections can diminish the performance of your computer or cause serious stability issues. Use FortectIntego to remediate your device and ensure that the virus damage is fixed |
Generally, a browser extension is not malicious in itself. Google Chrome alerts users about changes being made to the browser and they can decline or change settings at any time. However, some users might not fully understand these alterations and accept permissions without really looking into them.
Different ways users get their browsers hijacked by extensions
Sometimes it can be difficult for people to identify their browser has been hijacked. Malware could be running in the background without their knowledge. Fraudsters can try to redirect users to advertiser sites where they receive revenue for generating clicks and they might look like normal pop-up ads.
Often, this results from the “privacy paradox”[2] – an inconsistency between people having deep concerns about their privacy and their actual behavior and steps taken to ensure that privacy. According to research, people are actually quite careless about internet safety even though they think they care a lot. Most people do not read the privacy policies of software they download and skip through the installation process without checking any information.
Apart from that, malicious browser extensions can be downloaded by visiting shady websites, clicking on fake update links, or software bundling.[3] In most cases, this happens when a user wants to download free software from third-party distributors and rushes through the installation process. It is important to check all files included in the package as some of them might not be necessary.
We are not trying to discourage you from getting browser extensions but you should definitely make sure the ones you use are safe.
If you want to remove an unwanted extension from Google Chrome manually follow the instructions posted down below.
Delete from 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.
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.
Delete from 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.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
The instructions for other web browsers can be found at the bottom of this post
Making sure your browser add-on is safe
There are ways you can prevent your browser from being hijacked that are not particularly difficult. You can protect your personal data by taking precautionary measures.
- Always take the time to do some research on the add-on you want. Check if it is not out-of-date, as older tools can be not as secure as new ones.
- Definitely identify if the extension comes from a reputable source such as “Google Web Store” or “Firefox Browser Add-ons”. That doesn't mean that browser add-ons coming from unknown developers are all malicious, but you should be more careful with them. Be wary of requests that seem unreasonable considering what the add-on supposedly should be providing.
- Update your browsers regularly, often developers release patches to fix bugs or eliminate software vulnerabilities.
Automatic removal and remediation options
If you want to remove the Secure Way search engine add-on go to your browser settings and eliminate it manually. If you do not understand how to do it, the removal can be performed automatically so you don’t have to worry about correctly performing the removal steps – use SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or another reputable security app. You can perform a full system scan quickly.
Cleaning web browsers is extremely important, so if the above-mentioned steps are too complicated for you, you can instead employ FortectIntego for the job. Besides, the app can also fix malware-caused damage and Windows errors for your convenience.
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.
Getting rid of Secure Way browser extension. Follow these steps
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
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.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- 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
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.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
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 Secure Way browser extension 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 browser hijacker
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ Wikipedia. Browser hijacking. Wikipedia.Free encyclopedia.
- ^ Susanne Barth. The privacy paradox – Investigating discrepancies between expressed privacy concerns and actual online behavior – A systematic literature review. ScienceDirect.Peer-reviewed literature..
- ^ Bundled Software. Techopedia. Technology dictionary.