Searchme.com

Posted by Lisa Blanc on October 25, 2016

What is Searchme.com?

According to our researchers, Searchme.com is a browser hijacker that also doubles as a search engine that is distributed in a malicious manner. Thus, you might want to remove it from your PC entirely. Researchers have also found that its search results are also likely to contain promotional links because it comes from a developer that is in the online advertising business. Indeed, there is nothing unique or useful about this hijacker, and it will not improve your browsing experience in any shape or form. In fact, it will only hinder it and put your PC at risk as it promotes content from unknown entities. test

Where does Searchme.com come from?

This browser hijacker comes from an unknown developer that strives to hijack your browser’s homepage in an effort to compel you to use them to search the Internet. It is distributed in an outright malicious manner because you cannot prevent its installation. Our researchers have found that its secretive developers have made arrangements to bundle this hijacker with various shady software bundles whose installers are said to be configured to install Searchme.com automatically while installing other applications and the installer does not allow you to uncheck the installation of this hijacker. You are most likely to encounter such bundles on illegitimate software distributing websites that capitalize on bundling freeware with adware and browser hijackers. At present, this hijacker is popular in India with 36.3 % of all visits, the US with 15.7 %, and the Philippines with 6.1 %. Its popularity continues to grow as more computers become infected.

What does Searchme.com do?

The bundled installers it can come with are designed to affect Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox and replace their homepage addresses to Searchme.com. Obviously, this hijacker’s developers want to have a monopoly on what you use to perform your searches. It features a clean design and resembles a legitimate search engine. However, it is nothing like that because of the fact that it is designed to hijack your browser. If you use it to search the web, then you should know that it redirects all search queries to a customized version of Yahoo.com. Hence, you will essentially use Yahoo, but the difference is that this hijacker is configured to modify the search results and make space for promoted links.

The promotional links that are set to be featured in the search results can be a problem if they come from unknown sources and our researchers say that it seems that most of the advertisers working with this hijacker’s developers are unknown and, therefore, unreliable. For this reason, we conclude that Searchme.com can pose a threat to your computer’s security and even your personal privacy because there is no telling whether the content it promotes is safe to interact.

As far as information collection is concerned, our researchers say that this malicious search engine has every right to use browser cookies, web beacons and other information gathering technologies to obtain information such as your browsing history, Internet Service Provider name, Internet Protocol address, location, browser type, operating system type, entered search queries, browsing history and so on. All of this information is used to customize the promotional campaign and tailor the links to unique users to generate as much revenue as possible because this hijacker’s developers are most likely are paid per click.

How do I remove Searchme.com?

Searchme.com is one highly malicious search engine that is distributed in a malicious manner. Our security experts recommend that you delete it from your browser before any unwanted content such as malware winds up on your computer and wreaks havoc on it. Please consult the removal guide below or use an anti-malware program that will fix the homepage for you.