Safesurfs.net

Posted by Max Lehmann on August 8, 2016

What is Safesurfs.net?

Safesurfs.net can show up in your browsers silently, i.e., without your permission or knowledge. This questionable search page can change the Target lines of your browser shortcuts and start up as your new home page every time you open any one of your major browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome. Unfortunately, contrary to its name, this search page can actually put your virtual security at risk. In fact, our malware specialists at anti-spyware-101.com have classified this infection as a browser hijacker. This malware can expose you to unreliable websites through content it may display on your screen. Therefore, we advise you to remove Safesurfs.net from your computer as soon as possible because the longer your keep it there, the more chances it has to harm your privacy and your system. It is also important to mention that this browser hijacker may not even be the only threat you are facing right now. For the details, please read on. test

Where does Safesurfs.net come from?

Our research indicates that this browser hijacker has gained “popularity” mostly in these countries: India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran, and Algeria. But do not feel relieved if you are not from any of these countries because, in reality, there are no boundaries when it comes to this infection. We have found that this hijacker is hosted on the same server (50.115.127.222 IP address) as many other identical questionable search pages, such as esurf.biz, houmpage.com, and yourwebing.net. The most likely way for you to install this malware silently is through bad downloaders. It is possible to download such packages from questionable file-sharing and gaming websites, for example. You may think that you are downloading an application of your choice but, instead, you end up with a few unwanted “surprises,” such as adware programs, browser hijackers, and potentially unwanted programs as well. Questionable websites host several unsafe third-party ads. These advertisements may be unrecognizable and may seem to be part of the page posing as download buttons and so on. This is why it is not safe to land on an unfamiliar website and try to download software there. We suggest that you always use official and reputable websites whenever you want a new tool or application.

Another possibility for you to end up with Safesurfs.net in your browsers is to click on unreliable third-party ads generated by adware applications or browser hijackers that are on your system already. This is exactly why we urge you to always make sure that there are no infections present on your computer because even one can pose a threat and make your PC more vulnerable. We recommend that you scan your system with a free online malware scanner to detect all possible threats after you delete Safesurfs.net.

How does Safesurfs.net work?

This browser hijacker can appear in your browsers without your permission, which means that this infection actually commits a serious privacy breach by being present on your computer. When you install it without your knowledge, this malware modifies the Target lines of your browser shortcuts and adds “http://safesurfs.net/?ssid=1444318045&a=1008179” to the original path leading to the browser executable. This browser hijacker offers you the usual search box and a number of thumbnail links below it. These thumbnails lead to popular websites, such as Aliexpress, Amazon, Facebook, and Gearbest. However, it is possible that this hijacker can integrate affiliates’ ads within these promoted pages. For example, before redirecting you to Gearbest.com, this search page loads ad.admitad.com/g/2316b8f856074e21213b22af2ed61b/?subid=1, which is obviously a page related to third-party ads. You need to remember that clicking on any unreliable third-party ads can take you to potentially risky websites.

Unfortunately, you cannot trust the search engine either. Do not be surprised to find yourself on search.yahoo.com after running a web search. But do not take the results for granted because this hijacker may change the results to include third-party ads and links. However, these can be exploited by cyber criminals, which can mean that if you click on such content, you could end up on malicious websites. If you do not want to lose money from your bank accounts or give up your personal details to criminals, we advise you to remove Safesurfs.net ASAP.

How can I delete Safesurfs.net?

Since this infection does not seem to operate through browser extensions, the only thing you need to do to eliminate this threat is to change back your Target lines. If you have no idea how to do this, please use our guide below as a reference. We hope you understand now why it is unsafe to visit questionable websites, download programs through shady files-sharing websites, and click on third-party advertisements. If you try to avoid these, you may be able to protect your computer from more malware issues. However, if you are looking for perfect protection against all known malware infections, we suggest that you use a professional anti-malware tool.