Navsmart.info

Posted by Lisa Blanc on June 22, 2016

What is Navsmart.info?

We would like to warn you about a new browser hijacker called Navsmart.info. This particular hijacker is designed to modify the browser Target line to prevent you from removing it, but our malware analysts know how to deal with this issue, and you can check out the instructions on how to safely get rid of it at the bottom of this article. Note that it hijacks the target line to prevent you from modifying the homepage address that it changes to force you to use it as your search engine. In addition to that, its main page contains ads, and its search results may feature additional promotional links of unreliable nature. test

Where does Navsmart.info come from?

Malware analysts have found that this insidious infection is distributed using malicious installers that come from several questionable free software hosting websites. Bundled malware is nothing new as adware-type software is all too common to find on them. However, in most cases you can deselect the installation of adware whereas browser hijackers are usually installed without the user’s knowledge. So all you can do is steer clear of freeware websites and download software directly from the publishers. Furthermore, you should also have an anti-malware tool installed on your machine to prevent their installation. As far as this hijacker’s origins are concerned, we do not know anything about them. Hence, we can state, with certainty, that it comes from an unknown developer that has yet to release more clone hijackers, but we do not have the slightest doubt that they will in the near future.

What does Navsmart.info do?

As a browser hijacker, Navsmart.info is set to hijack your web browser’s settings and replace the homepage. Testing has shown that this particular hijacker can affect Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. However, it cannot hijack the settings of Microsoft's new Edge web browser for Windows 10. The reason for hijacking the homepage address is simple — the developers want you to use it to search the Internet and view and click the ads and promotional links that it presents. However, we want to point out that the promoted content comes from unknown sources and may be unsafe so you should not trust it.

We want to stress that browser hijackers are notoriously unsafe when it comes to content reliability because they are likely to advertise and promote shady websites and potentially unwanted programs that are all too often bundled with malware. Therefore, by using Navsmart.info you put your computer in harm’s way which is not what you want to do. However, we do not have to state this because it is obvious. So is you browser’s settings have been modified, and the homepage changed to this browser hijacker’s URL, then you have to do something about it, but before we move to its removal guide, let us overview another rather important aspect regarding this hijacker.

Like all browser hijackers masquerading as search engines, Navsmart.info is set to collect non-personally identifiable information automatically. The collected information includes browsing and search history, Internet Protocol (IP) address, Internet Service Provider (ISP,) location, browser type, operating system type, and so on. This information is used to customize the advertising campaign for each unique user to make the most of the ads and maximize the profits.

How to remove Navsmart.info?

All in all, this browser hijacker is bad news, and you should delete it as soon as you can. Note that it supports the three most popular web browsers that include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. To get rid of this hijacker you have to fix the target line that is the same for each web browser. Please follow the universal removal guide we have provided below. To recap, this hijacker can compromise your computer’s security with unreliable advertisements that it is likely to promote. Also, it can collect information about your usage patterns and other information. So it is definitely not worth keeping, so do not hesitate and take action now.