Search2.searchgst.com

Posted by Max Lehmann on July 7, 2016

What is Search2.searchgst.com?

Search2.searchgst.com looks like any other legitimate search page, but underneath the misleading surface lies a gloomier reality. In fact, our malware researchers at anti-spyware-101.com have categorized this infection as a browser hijacker due to the fact that it is capable of modifying certain browser settings. What’s more, this hijacker might even be installed without your permission, which is indeed a clear breach of your privacy, i.e., an illegal act. If this is not enough for you to want to remove Search2.searchgst.com right away, let us explain in more detail how this hijacker can put your virtual world at risk and what you can do against it. We can already tell you that most likely this infection is not the only one you need to eliminate. Please continue reading if you want to know how you can protect your computer from similar threats. test test test

Where does Search2.searchgst.com come from?

You can find the promotional page of this browser extension at getspeedtester.com, which offers you four “Install now” buttons. Clicking on these you get redirected to the Chrome web store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/get-speed-tester/fomikjclnoaphfmcfiajppklgheimfci) where you can see that already over 27 thousand users have installed this tool. However, interestingly enough, not one of them has rated this questionable extension or left a comment about it. But to be quite frank, we do not think that many users land on these pages at all.

It is much more likely, as reports and our research show, that you install Search2.searchgst.com after clicking on shady third-party pop-up ads. You can be exposed to such ads if an adware program is found on your system, including TapBreaker, GamesZing, and Web Timer to mention some of the latest such threats. These infections are capable of showing you potentially unsafe advertisements (banners and pop-ups among others) or even hijack otherwise legitimate ads on reputable pages. All in all, if such a malware infection resides on your system, let alone more, you can never be safe going online. If you click on a malicious ad, you can easily download a package of malicious installers and also let this useless browser hijacker into your browsers. Since it is quite possible that other malware threats can also be found on your PC, we advise you to remove Search2.searchgst.com and all related infections as well.

How does Search2.searchgst.com work?

According to our researchers, this browser hijacker is simply a new clone of Search.youremailnow.com, Search.yourclassifiedscenter.com, Search.yourinterestscenter.com and many more. Usually only the domain, the name of the tool, and the theme change, but the functioning is all the same. This hijacker claims to provide you quick links to check your Internet connection speed. You can find a fake toolbar at the top of the search page but if you click the links there, you may find yourself on pages that do not even function properly; however, they do display several potentially harmful third-party ads. But this is not even the worst about Search2.searchgst.com. Unfortunately, this infection can manipulate the search results. This is exactly how it manages to generate income, i.e., through promoting third parties by integrating their ads and links into the search results. Do not get confused if you are redirected to a Yahoo page. This is a technique that most browser hijackers use in order to deceive inexperienced users. The truth is that it is impossible to distinguish between unreliable and authentic content when you end up on a Yahoo results page through this hijacker. However, clicking on compromised content can have serious consequences by landing you on malicious websites or dropping dangerous infections onto your system. The best way for you to protect yourself from these scenarios is to remove Search2.searchgst.com ASAP.

How can I delete Search2.searchgst.com?

There are two stages to eliminate this infection without leftovers. First, locate and execute the uninstaller via Control Panel. Then, reset your browsers. If these steps do not ring the bell, please use our guide below. The manual removal of Search2.searchgst.com does not really take more than a few minutes; however, if you consider that there may be several more threats on your system, this can increase substantially when done manually. Not to mention the fact that there is good chance that you cannot detect all of the infections, which may require an expert indeed. Therefore, we recommend that you employ a reputable anti-malware program that can automatically tackle all existing malware infections and safeguard your PC from future attacks.