Howtonews.ru

Posted by Lisa Blanc on February 13, 2017

What is Howtonews.ru?

Howtonews.ru is a recently created browser hijacker targeted at users from Russia. As the research reveals, the threat may automatically launch user’s default browser without his permission and redirect him to unreliable web pages showing advertisements, surveys, and so on. Our researchers at Anti-spyware-101.com think that such content could be potentially dangerous and recommend avoiding it. However, if you want to stop the redirection and get rid of the ads, you should not keep this browser hijacker any longer and erase it from the system. Apparently, it creates schedule tasks, so it will keep loading suspicious web pages unless you remove it. Those who do not know how to delete Howtonews.ru, could simply slide below the text and use the provided instructions, although if you are facing such threat for the first time, it would be advisable to read more about it. test test

Where does Howtonews.ru come from?

It is possible Howtonews.ru could be distributed with malicious bundled installers or suspicious extensions. Users might download these malicious setup files from unreliable file-sharing web pages. In such case, we recommend staying away from such web pages if you do not want to risk your computer’s safety. It would be smarter to acquire program installers from legitimate sources, for example, the publisher’s official site. Needless to say, you should firstly check whether the application was developed by a reputable company. If it does not seem enough to keep your system clean, you could also install a reliable antimalware tool. Just keep it fully updated, and it should be able to fight even new threats.

How does Howtonews.ru work?

As we tested Howtonews.ru, we noticed that it creates scheduled task called httphowtonewsrupoweronsm in the C:\Windows\system32\tasks directory. That is why your browser might start loading howtonews.ru/news or howtonews.ru/poweronsm web pages every 5-35 minutes. For example, the sample our researchers tested was loading one of these web pages every 33 minutes. This search engine itself might not be harmful, but it may show you modified search results, so there could be potentially dangerous content among them. For instance, you could notice third-party pop-ups, banners or other ads promoting adware, potentially unwanted programs, etc.

Furthermore, the browser hijacker might also redirect the user to doubtful web pages like u5pzz.allaff.quinquina.xyz. These sites may ask you to complete various surveys or show you fake lottery winnings. The problem is that by interacting with such content, users could reveal their sensitive or personal data, which later could be used by the particular website’s creators without any permission. Therefore, you should be extra careful with such pop-ups. Naturally, if you do not want to be redirected to such annoying websites, we advise you to delete Howtonews.ru as fast as possible.

How to erase Howtonews.ru?

Erasing the browser hijacker manually might be slightly difficult for inexperienced users, so it would be advisable to get rid of the threat according to the instructions located below. They will show you how to delete the created scheduled tasks belonging to Howtonews.ru and how to restore the hijacked browser. Additionally, you could check if there are any suspicious browser extensions or other applications that should be removed. Of course, if the provided steps look too complicated, users can acquire a legitimate antimalware tool and use it instead. After the tool is installed, you should do a full system scan. Once the list with detections appears, you can review the report or click the removal button and eliminate the browser hijacker with other possible threats at once.