Browser hijackers change the default home and search pages in your internet browser.
Some websites run a script that changes the settings in your browser without your permission. This hijacker can add shortcuts to your “Favorites” folder or, more seriously, can change the page that is fi rst displayed when you open the browser.
You may fi nd that you cannot change your browser’s start page back to your chosen site. Some hijackers edit the Windows registry so that the hijacked settings are restored every time you restart your computer. Others remove options from the browser’s tools menu, so that you can’t reset the start page.
In every case, the intention is the same: to force you to visit a website. This infl ates the number of “hits” and the site’s ranking with search engines, which boosts the advertising revenue that the site can earn.
Browser hijackers can be very tenacious. Some can be removed automatically by security software. Others may need to be removed manually. In some cases, it is easier to restore the computer to an earlier state or reinstall the operating system.
Sophos.com
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