Search.lexside.com

Posted by Lisa Blanc on December 1, 2016

What is Search.lexside.com?

Search.lexside.com is a browser hijacker, and we are rather lucky because of that. Browser hijackers do not hide their presence. They are really explicit about what they are and what they do, so when you notice this program on your computer, you can remove it at once.

Unfortunately, quite often users do not understand how dangerous such intruders are. Search.lexside.com looks like a decent search engine, so some might think it is just an upgrade offered by their usual search provider. However, everyone should know that an unsolicited browser settings modification should not be tolerated. And if that happens to you, you have to react immediately. test

Where does Search.lexside.com come from?

There is no one exact distribution source that could be said to be responsible for spreading this browser hijacker around. In fact, it is very likely that you downloaded it yourself from some third-party file-sharing website. For example, if you have recently installed some freeware application, it is possible that the hijacker came with it.

Have you checked the installation wizard through and through? Perhaps there was a step that informed you about Search.lexside.com, and you simply missed it? Either way, please be careful when you install programs downloaded from third-party sources. The third-party installers often bundle several programs in one, and users who are not careful about what they install, end up having unwanted (and sometimes even dangerous!) programs on-board.

What does Search.lexside.com do?

Seeing how Search.lexside.com is similar to Search.feelbegin.com, we can expect this browser hijacker to exhibit the same behavioral patterns. For instance, we do know that all major browsers can be affected by the program. So it does not matter if you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome: the hijacker can modify settings on all these browsers. Take note, however, that Search.lexside.com cannot affect the Edge browser, but this browser has around 3% to 4% of the entire market share, so only a fraction of users can avoid this hijacker.

What’s more, just because your browser cannot be affected by this program, it does not mean it cannot be installed on your computer. Not to mention all the other programs that can enter the system with the hijacker will be there, and they WILL slow down your computer!

Now, as far as the hijacker itself is concerned, it will change your default search engine and homepage without notifying you. Then it will track your online activities. The program will use tracking cookies and other techniques to do that. In fact, a lot of websites and even browsers employ tracking cookies to customize and improve your online experience, but this tactic could also be exploited for malevolent purposes, too.

For instance, all the information collected about you Search.lexside.com will be used to display customized commercial advertisements tailored especially for you. What happens when you see custom ads and modified links? If you see something you have been looking for, you feel more inclined to click it, right? So if you end up clicking those links, you help the hijacker make money because it gets revenue with every click you make. And it does not care whether you land on a safe page or not. What’s more, Search.lexside.com does not review the content it promotes, and it opens a lot of possibilities for malicious exploitation. Any third party that knows how to do that could promote their content through this hijacker, and cyber criminals are no exception. While malicious programs do not choose this distribution route too often, the risk is there, and this is not something you should ignore.

How do I remove Search.lexside.com?

The best way to protect your computer and your information from danger is to remove Search.lexside.com and every other unwanted application immediately. If there is at least the smallest chance that this could evolve into something nasty, you have to take action without any further ado.

While you can get rid of the hijacker by restoring your browser settings to default, you should scan your computer with a reliable antispyware application that would detect all the potential threats you need to delete. When your PC is clean and safe again, safeguard it against similar intruders by investing in a reliable security tool. And if you have more questions about these types of threats, do not hesitate to leave us a comment.