Startpage-home.com

Posted by Lisa Blanc on November 28, 2016

What is Startpage-home.com?

Startpage-home.com is a basic browser hijacker that can be detected in various countries world-wide. It is not an extremely dangerous computer threat, but it can still cause various issues that cannot be overlooked. If you happen to have this browser hijacker on your computer, you have opened the right page! Scroll down to the bottom of this description to the manual removal instructions. If you do not want to remove Startpage-home.com manually, you can also invest in a security application that will take care of this intruder for you automatically. Whatever you do, make sure your computer is safe and sound in the end. test

Where did Startpage-home.com come from?

The data on this browser hijacker are scarce because the program is pretty generic. However, we have managed to find that the infection uses the same domain as startpage-search.com, stg-234i23r9-hpw.com, stg-234i23r9-sph.com, and other similar websites. That would suggest that this browser hijacker comes from a group of similar applications, and all of them have been created for the sole purpose of generating a financial profit.

Now, it is more than obvious that users do not install Startpage-home.com on their computers willingly. They are obviously tricked into adding these search engines to their browsers. It is very likely that they are not even aware of the fact they add these programs because they usually come bundled with freeware. In other words, the users are too focused on some other program they have meant to install on their PCs, to pay attention to all the additional clauses in the installation wizard. However, eventually, such negligence results in potentially unwanted software installation.

And it is not just you. As mentioned, this browser hijacker has been detected in multiple countries globally. The program was found on computers in twenty nine different countries, and Mexico emerged as the most infected country.

What does Startpage-home.com do?

The researchers at anti-spyware-101.com say that this browser hijacker comes from the Sweetlabs family, and so we can expect it to behave just like the previous applications in the same group. In other words, the browser hijacker will take over your default homepage and search engine on your main browser. It does not have its own search engine, so Startpage-home.com will use the custom Google Search engine to provide you with modified search results.

Even though it looks like Startpage-home.com can display reliable search results, most of them will be modified according to your likes and preferences. How does a browser hijacker know that? Almost all browser hijackers indulge in online tracking by the means of cookies. They can check what websites you frequent, and what you usually search for online. So when your web search is redirected through the custom search engine, Startpage-home.com can embed some of the modified links that lead to affiliated websites.

On the surface, these links will look like search results related to your most recent search query. However, it will really be a commercial offer. The browser hijacker will display a lot of commercial offers because that is how it makes money. It is up to you whether you want to click that link or not, but we would strongly discourage you to browse the web while the browser hijacker is still on your computer. The problem is that the hijacker could also be used by cyber criminals to deliver their content. So that link you are about to click could also be embedded there by malware distributors.

As mentioned, Startpage-home.com does not try to infect you with malware, but it is too vulnerable to third-party exploitation to just let it stay on your PC. If you care about your system’s security, you will get rid of it at once.

How do I remove Startpage-home.com?

We would recommend restoring your browser settings to default to remove Startpage-home.com for good. If you are worried about other potential threats, you should scan your PC with the SpyHunter free scanner to check the actual system status. If there are any unwanted programs detected, you will be able to delete them immediately.

You should also consider investing in a security application because that is one of the best ways to safeguard your PC. But do not forget that your web browsing habits also play an important role in ensuring your system’s safety.