Thebrighttag (scam) - 2021 update
Thebrighttag Removal Guide
What is Thebrighttag?
Thebrighttag – an adware program that displays sponsored content on Netflix and other sites
Thebrighttag is an adware that has a purpose to gain income from advertising. Developers use the cost-per-click marketing technique to receive revenue from their ads. Such advertisements come in form of annoying pop-ups and pop-unders that appear on Netflix, WordPress-based sites, Youtube, and similar domains. While s.thebrighttag.com malware is not technically a virus, security experts have started calling it malicious due to its ability to infiltrate the computer system without any notice and modify the web browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, IE) without asking for permission. Note that it is better to ignore ads caused by this adware and eliminate their main cause – adware-type virus, from Mac and other operating systems.
| Name | Thebrighttag |
|---|---|
| Type | Adware |
| developer | Signal Inc. |
| Main symptoms | Causes continuous pop-up ads and redirects to sponsored sites |
| redirects to | s.thebrighttag.com |
| the main browsers affected | Safari, Firefox, Chrome |
| the main OS affected | Mac OS |
| Distribution | Adware-related programs can distribute via bundled freeware or shareware |
| Prevention | Use the Custom/Advanced installation mode to control all incoming downloads |
| Elimination | Get rid of adware and use ReimageIntego to detect unwanted components |
If the virus has infiltrated your computer system, there is a big possibility that you will spot symptoms such as:
- Frequent advertising which appears each time you enter the infected browser;
- Dubious redirects[1] are taking you to questionable websites;
- Browser's homepage and new tab bar have been changed without your permission;
- Your web browser has been struggling to perform simple actions lately.
Note that these before-mentioned symptoms signify an adware infection in your computer. If you figure out that Thebrighttag is responsible for this activity, you should strongly consider removing the potentially unwanted program as it is not a necessary component for your computer system and might even indirectly do some damage to it.
An important reason to remove s.thebrighttag.com malware from the system is its ability to redirect to questionable sites. As we have mentioned before, adware programs are likely to take users to dubious-looking websites. Some pages can turn out to be malicious and include malware[2]. You can easily infect your computer system by clicking on an infected link.
Moreover, performing the removal is recommended as this ad-supported program has the ability to gather data that relates to the user's browsing habits. These potentially unwanted applications gather the information that is related to users' most commonly visited websites, saved bookmarks, performed search requests, etc.
This data is collected by using the Thebrighttag cookie which can be detected by your anti-virus as The Bright Tag. If you happen to receive a notification from your anti-virus about this component, you should get rid of it without any doubt. You can use ReimageIntego or any other similar tool to detect all suspicious components on the computer system. If you want to remove the intruder from Mac manually, follow the manual tutorial at the end of this post.
Avoid adware programs by following simple rules
According to the cybersecurity experts' team from Virusai.lt[3], potentially unwanted applications, including adware-related ones, can be easily spread via the bundling technique. Such a thing happens very often when computer users download software from free Internet sources and do not pay attention to installation steps. Gladly, you can take some actions to avoid this type of activity.
All you have to do is activate the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation mode over the “Quick” or “Recommended” one. If you do follow this advice, you will be able to control all incoming downloads, opt-out the unwanted wants and leaves those which are necessary. Furthermore, IT specialists recommend downloading and installing a reputable antivirus program that will allow you to perform regular system scans and keep your computer protected.
Terminate TheBrighttag certificate and other components
If this adware has appeared in your computer system and web browsers with its ads, you need to remove the virus as soon as possible. There is no need for keeping this potentially unwanted program[4] on your computer as it will bring only unpleasant consequences. You can perform the elimination process by using reliable anti-malware tools which will assure you that your PC is fully cleaned and free of malware.
Moreover, you can follow our below-given instructions to carry out the Thebrighttag removal. This method is suited for more experienced users but you are welcome to try it on your own if you are likely to. Be careful while performing each step as you will have to get rid of all browser extensions, add-ons, and adware-added plug-ins from infected web browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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 Thebrighttag. Follow these steps
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- 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.
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- 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.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- 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.
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.
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 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.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
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 Thebrighttag 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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ URL Redirect. Techopedia. IT encyclopedia and tech definitions.
- ^ Malware. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Virusai.lt. Virusai. Malware removal and prevention tips.
- ^ Vangie Beal. PUP - potentially unwanted program. Webopedia. All about computers.