Browser Archives – Gridinsoft Blog

Windows Defender Security Warning

Stephanie Adlam — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:14:36 +0000

Have you ever encountered a Windows Defender security warning pop-up while browsing? This type of malicious activity is designed to trick you into contacting scammers. Fortunately, you can quickly get rid of it. Here, we will explain how to remove this scam and protect yourself from other viruses.

What is the Windows Defender Security Warning?

This warning is the result of scareware or a phishing scam. Its purpose is to redirect you to a webpage that visually resembles the official Microsoft website. However, the URL does not match the official site. The page may display a message claiming that your computer is infected with malware and that you need to contact a support agent by phone to fix the problem.

Windows Defender Security Warning scam example. Red flags are highlighted in the picture.

Unfortunately, the notification looks like a legitimate Windows message, making it especially dangerous – many users may not even attempt to verify i= on Google. Scammers commonly make the pop-up as convincing as possible so that people don’t suspect anything is wrong. The provided phone number will likely connect you to a fraudulent call center. The agent may try to get you to install malware to infect your computer, steal your personal information, or demand money for fake services.

Why is the Windows Defender Security Warning False?

At first glance, you might mistake this for a legitimate warning from Windows Defender. However, if you’re familiar with Windows Defender, you’ll notice differences from a genuine notification. Therefore, please do not call the phone number provided in the window because it is not a real alert. Here’s why:

It’s not the Windows Defender interface. Windows Defender, also known as Windows Security, is a built-in Windows application with a different interface. It will never display a browser pop-up or webpage; it uses system notifications instead.
Strange text and typos. A banner or page showing a Microsoft Defender alert often contains strange text designs and grammatical and stylistic errors, which sharply contrast with the short and informative Defender notifications.
Microsoft never provides contact numbers for users. Users can contact Microsoft support through the “Get Help” application if they encounter problems.

This Windows Defender security alert is flawed in both format and content. It’s often a low-level phishing scam aiming to sell a rogue antivirus service, which can harm your computer. In some cases, you might not be able to close the alert or switch to other applications.

Causes of the Windows Defender Security Warning

There are several reasons why you might see a Windows Defender security warning. Here are the most common ones:

You clicked on an ad that redirected you to a fake site.
You visited a hacked website that redirected you to a fraudulent page.
You have a malicious program installed on your device, often a result of adware activity.

There are also many other ways you could be exposed to fraud, depending on various factors, such as the external devices you share with others. Simply closing the window may not solve the problem, especially if adware is causing it. The pop-up message may appear every time you open your browser.

How to Remove the Windows Defender Security Warning

Since the Windows Defender security warning appears in your browser, most actions to get rid of it are related to your browser. These steps can help resolve the issue of Windows Defender security warning pop-ups:

Force close and reopen your browser.
If the problem with redirecting to a fraudulent page persists, reset your browser (instructions below) or reinstall the browser completely.
If this continues, you may have adware or a PUP (potentially unwanted program) installed on your computer, and you need to remove it.

If you’re unsure which installed application is causing the pop-up notifications, install antivirus software to detect and remove the infection from your computer.

How to Clear the Browser from the Windows Defender Security Warning

Resetting your browser settings is one of the first steps to eliminate the Windows Defender security warning scam. Here are the instructions for different browsers:

Remove the Windows Defender Scam from Chrome

Click on the three vertical … in the top right corner and Select Settings.
Select Reset and Clean up and Restore settings to their originals defaults.
Click Reset settings.

Remove the Windows Defender Scam from Firefox

Click the three-line icon in the upper right corner and select Help
Select More Troubleshooting Information
Select Refresh Firefox… then Refresh Firefox

Remove the Windows Defender Scam from Microsoft Edge

Press the three dots
Select Settings
Click Reset Settings, then Click Restore settings to their default vaues.

Remove the Windows Defender Scam from Safari

Open the terminal (press ⌘ Command + Spacebar to open the spotlight, type “terminal” and press “Enter”)
Enter these commands one at a time. Execute each command by pressing “Enter” after copying it into the terminal:

rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari; rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari; rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/PubSub/Database; rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/*; rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist; rm -Rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.apple.Safari.savedState;

What to Do if the Problem Persists?

If you have followed all the steps above and still see this warning every time you use a web browser, it is a clear sign that malware is still on your computer. You can use professional antimalware software such as GridinSoft Anti-Malware to scan your computer and remove any viruses or malware found. After taking such drastic measures, the antimalware software will remove and neutralize more dangerous cyber threats that could cause severe damage to your files.

Download and install Anti-Malware by clicking the button below. After the installation, run a Full scan: this will check all the volumes present in the system, including hidden folders and system files. Scanning will take around 15 minutes.

Download Anti-Malware

After the scan, you will see the list of detected malicious and unwanted elements. It is possible to adjust the actions that the antimalware program does to each element: click "Advanced mode" and see the options in the drop-down menus. You can also see extended information about each detection - malware type, effects and potential source of infection.

Click "Clean Now" to start the removal process. Important: removal process may take several minutes when there are a lot of detections. Do not interrupt this process, and you will get your system as clean as new.

How to Avoid Scams like the Windows Defender Security Warning

As mentioned earlier, the Windows Defender security warning scam is not the only threat you may encounter on your computer. There is much more severe malware on the Internet, and as a prudent user, you should take every precaution to avoid them. Here are some basic tips:

Ensure your OS and apps are up to date
Only download apps from official websites
Avoid clicking on random links without knowing where they will take you
Don’t download suspicious apps
Do not open attachments in suspicious emails
Use an ad blocker to block malicious ads
Use advanced antivirus software

Your computer should now be clean and free of Windows Defender scams. To prevent this from happening again, practice good online hygiene to protect yourself from fraud. Perform regular scans and use malware protection to stop threats before they happen.

The post Windows Defender Security Warning appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Reset Browser Chrome, Opera, Edge, Firefox and Safari to Default

Polina Lisovskaya — Fri, 10 May 2024 11:33:23 +0000

Why do I need to reset my browser settings?

There are a lot of reasons to reset your browser. Generally, they have malicious origins. Most of the malware infects not only your system but also your browser. Nasty redirects, slow performance of search process, ads, replaced homepage and search engine – these are consequences of annoying browser virus.

Moreover, such browser hijacker possesses a real threat to your privacy. GridinSoft Team found lots of cases when an unwanted search engine collects the search history and personal information of the victim and uses them in own purpose. Not each anti-malware program can offer the online security feature, which prevents data collection. But GridinSoft Anti-Malware does.

We also recommend resetting your browser settings regularly if you use a lot of browser plugins. Plugins have a bad habit of conflicting with each other, and the more ones you have in your browser – the higher is the chance to have problems. No one wants to see the web browser slow and buggy, right?

How to reset my browser settings?

The most efficient way is to reset browser settings automatically. GridinSoft Anti-Malware offers a free tool that will make your browsers clean with just one click. In order to reset these settings back to the normal mode, please click the “Tools” menu tab and then select the “Reset Browser Settings” option.

Choose browsers that you want to reset and items that need to be back to default mode. Click “Reset. That’s all!

Choose the browsers you need to reset and options that are about to be reverted to original

Browsers that you chose will be closed after resetting.

Please, save all your important data before cleaning. All bookmarks will stay no matter which items you will choose to reset.

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What are Browser Cookies? Browser Cookies Definition

Stephanie Adlam — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 14:20:40 +0000

Cookies are necessary to the modern Internet but can damage your privacy. As an essential component of online browsing, HTTP cookies facilitate more personalized, convenient website visits. Browser cookies are used to remember your website logins, shopping carts, and other information. However, they can also be a source of private information for criminals to surveil. Below you will see the definition of a cookie, what it is used for, and other information.

What Are Cookies?

Web browsers store the information a web server provides in the form of small files called cookies. These files store information about the browsing session, such as a user’s shopping cart contents. When users browse a website using its default settings, their cookies are attached to subsequent requests to the web server. Websites use cookies to understand a user’s habits and preferences. This allows websites to provide personalized experiences, like displaying recommendations based on a user’s browsing history or previously placed items in their shopping cart. In addition, some cookies are used for security purposes, such as authentication cookies. Internet cookies are also referred to as HTTP cookies. They’re used on many websites and are usually accessed through the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

The cookie filename format

What Are Cookies Used For?

Websites use cookies to make browsing more convenient by automatically remembering your information after you leave or close the page. Consequently, you wouldn’t have to log in again or reinstall your shopping cart if you closed the tab accidentally. Cookies provide a significant part of the Internet experience. Therefore it’s necessary to understand why they’re valuable before deciding whether or not to keep them.

Session management. For example, cookies allow websites to recognize users and remember their personal preferences, such as sports news versus politics.
Personalization. When sites use cookies to personalize their advertisements, they usually use customized advertising. This means that cookies help websites create ads you might like based on your data.
Tracking. Online stores use cookies to remember information about the items someone has previously viewed. This allows them to continue suggesting other things the user may like and keep their carts filled with items they still need to purchase.

What are the different Types of Cookies?

Some of the most significant types of cookies include:

1. Session cookies

Websites employ a session cookie to track a user’s session. Session cookies are erased after the user’s session is over — once they log out of their account on a website or leave the site. Session cookies have no expiration date; this indicates to the browser that they should be deleted once the session is over.

Work scheme of Session cookies

2. Magic cookies

This old term in computing refers to packets of information transmitted and received without alteration. Typically, this would be employed to access a computer database system internal to a business, such as a network. This idea is older than the modern "cookie" we utilize today.

3. HTTP cookies

HTTP cookies specifically designed for web browsers to record, personalize, and save information about each user’s session. A session is the amount of time you spend on a website. Cookies are employed to recognize you when you visit a new website. The server that hosts the website’s data transmits a brief, identifying message to your web browser. Browser cookies are placed by their name and value pairs. These instructions tell cookies where to go and what information to remember.

4. Authentication cookies

Authentication cookies are used to maintain user sessions, created when a user logs into an account via their browser. They ensure that confidential information is delivered to the intended users by associating user account information with a cookie identifier that is unique to each user.

5. Tracking cookies

Cookies that are generated by tracking services are called tracking cookies. This is because they observe user behavior, and browsers transmit this information to the associated tracking service the next time they visit a website that utilizes that service.

6. Zombie cookies

Like the "zombies" in popular fiction, zombie cookies will regrow after being deleted. Zombie cookies have multiple copies of themselves that are not stored in the specific location for cookies. They utilize these backups to re-appear within a browser after they are deleted. Dishonest advertising networks and cyber criminals sometimes employ zombie cookies.

How do Browser cookies affect user privacy?

Cookies can be employed to record browsing activity, including for advertising purposes. However, many users do not want their online behavior to be monitored. Additionally, users need more transparency or control over the data tracking services collected. Even when cookie-based tracking is not associated with a specific user’s device or name, with some types of monitoring, it is still possible to associate a record of a user’s browsing activity with their real identity. This data could be utilized in many ways, including unwanted advertising, stalking, or harassment of users. This is only the case for some forms of cookie usage.

Some privacy laws, like the EU’s ePrivacy Directive, address and govern the use of cookies. Under this Directive, users must consent to the use of cookies by being informed of the purpose and method of use. They must also agree to this usage before the website can utilize cookies. The only exception is cookies that are "necessary" for the website to function. In addition, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) considers cookie identifiers personal information, so its regulations apply to the usage of cookies in the EU. Therefore, any personal data collected through cookies is also subject to the GDPR’s jurisdiction. Because of these regulations, many websites now show banners that allow users to control and review the cookies those websites utilize.

Cookie rules relate to the GDPR

Why Cookies on the Internet Can Be Dangerous

Since the information stored in cookies is constant, cookies are not harmful. They cannot spread viruses or other malware to computers. However, some cyberattacks can take over cookies and allow access to your browsing history. The threat is their capacity to identify the browsing histories of individuals. To explain, let’s discuss what cookies to be wary of. Some cookies have a more significant threat than others, depending on their origin.

First-party cookies. The ads are generated by the website you are visiting. These are typically more secure if you visit authority sites or ones that have not been compromised.
Third-party cookies. They are produced by websites that are different from the pages that users are currently browsing. These are typically associated with advertisements on the page. For example, visiting a site with ten ads may produce ten cookies even if users never interact with them. Third-party cookies allow advertisers or analytics companies to observe an individual’s browsing history across multiple websites containing their advertisements. As a result, the advertiser could deduce that a user first searched for running apparel at a specific outdoor store before visiting a particular sporting goods website and then a typical online retailer of sportswear.

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How to Browse the Web Securely: Stay Safe Online

Stephanie Adlam — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:57:09 +0000

Web browsers are invaluable tools for users and make up a huge portion of the daily time we spend in the digital world. Unfortunately, they hold many personal files and information, making them a desirable target for cybercriminals. Threat actors could attempt to access a person’s computer or other computers in the network using attacks within the web browsers. This article will tell you about what threats you can face on the Internet and how to browse the Web securely under different circumstances.

Top browser threats

There are different threats with different purposes. Some are explicitly aimed at the browser, others at something else. Here is a list of common threats:

The exploitation of vulnerabilities in any extensions, plugins, and browsers you install. Crooks often use this tactic to obtain confidential data or to distribute additional malware. These threats are presented under the guise of phishing emails or visits to sites that a hacker controls. Another tactic may be the XSS attack, which sometimes belongs not only to the websites’ flaws, but also on browser vulnerabilities.

Malicious plugins: People use plugins to improve the convenience of Internet browsing. These plugins have privileged access to the browser. Thus, malicious plugins under the guise of legitimate ones can be distributed to download additional malware or to steal user data. Some of them act as a coin miner trojans – malware that exploits the hardware of the computer to mine cryptocurrencies.

DNS poisoning: DNS is a computer system that retrieves information about domains that it converts into IP addresses so that browsers display the site users want to visit. But attacks on DNS kb records on DNS servers may allow hackers to redirect the browser to malicious domains like phishing sites.

Session hijacking: If attackers can steal session IDs (when they are not encrypted), they could log into the same websites and apps that the user did, pretending to be the user. They could then steal sensitive information and even financial details. Websites and app servers give out session IDs when users log in.

Man-in-the-middle/browser attack: Intruders can send a user to a phishing site via a page with a request for authorization in the web browser. If hackers control the router through which the victim is connected to the network, it will be much easier to do so.

Web app exploitation: Malicious code can attack apps on your computer rather than the browser, but the browser is used to run the code. Such attack is also actual for the apps that use the browser tab rendering inside of the app window to display the user interface.

How to browse the Web securely?

Seeing the list of threats you can see above, you may start thinking that it is impossible to browse the Web securely. To reduce the risks of confidential data loss and malicious content distribution, users can take the following steps:

1. Don’t share your personal information

The first thing to note about network security is preserving your data from third parties. Users should understand with who they are sharing their bank details, passwords, insurance numbers, and more. The theft of confidential data is not the primary purpose of fraudsters, but if you get it, intruders can compromise you or sell this information to third parties. In either case, users risk losing the integrity of their privacy.

2. Keep your browser and plugins updated

Remove all old plugins to reduce the risk of exploiting vulnerabilities. All browser and plugin updates are designed to increase the level of protection against new system intrusion methods.

3. Only visit HTTPS sites

Pay attention to the top of your web browser whenever you visit a website. His address bar should read “HTTPS”. Also, note the lock symbol at the beginning of the browser address bar; it shows that the connection is protected. In the dialogue window that appears after clicking on that lock, you’ll see the information about the certificate issuer and date of expiration.

Lock in the left part of URL bar is a sign of secured connection

4. Be “phishing aware”

Be careful what opens in your email. For example, do not click on links and attached forms in an email whose sender you do not know. These links may carry malicious content, and the forms will attempt to retrieve all your personal information. Phishing appeared long ago and becomes more and more sophisticated over time.

Phishing email that aims to install malware on your PC

5. Think before downloading

Before downloading the application or program, verify the authenticity of the site from which you want to download it. If you doubt the site’s authenticity because of its illiteracy or for some other reason, then go to the sources familiar to you and download from there all that you need.

6. Create and use complex passwords

Complex and reliable passwords are another way to protect yourself from unwanted pests. Create a password with at least 12 characters and use lower case and upper case letters; you can also include different types of surfaces. Average-difficulty passwords are easier to crack. This is because they can be in the password dictionary that the attacker uses for brute force attacks.

7. Use antivirus and antimalware software

Using a reliable security solution is another good additional layer of protection for your data and your entire system. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will be a good help for you when using different browsers. It is designed to scan your system and online activities continuously. This protection will alert you to a potential threat if it detects a malicious site or a doubtful program. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is also designed to remove all malware from your PC.

The post How to Browse the Web Securely: Stay Safe Online appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Search Marquis: How to prevent it

Stephanie Adlam — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 15:04:13 +0000

What is Search Marquis?

Search Marquis is a type of malware that aims to infect the browser, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, hence the name – the hijacker of the browser. This program works by disguising itself as a search engine and most often affects browsers on Mac devices. So, how to get rid of Search Marquis?

A browser infected with Search Marquis

How Search Marquis Works?

The working principle of this malware is to change the settings of the browser, then redirect the user to searchmarquis.com. As soon as a user enters this questionable search engine, he receives annoying advertisements, as well as is redirected to even more malicious websites. Any click, whether intentional or not, on different types of advertising sites, and others, will redirect the user to malicious content. Next, it will continue as a vicious circle, because after tapping the user gives access to cyber threats to his device.

Symptoms of Search Marquis Virus

We will provide you with a list of signs that your Mac device is infected. This will give you the ability to control the activity of your device and in the event of a threat penetration, you will know what it looks like and what to do with it in the future.

Redirects to searchmarquis.com. Note that when you visit Google, for example, your search engine changes to Search Marquis.
Annoying ads. If you have visited searchmarquis.com, then you will notice a huge amount of advertising that did not exist before. This massive amount of obsessive advertising is provided by adware. You can see it in the form of banners, pop-up windows, and advertising on any product or service.
Redirects to questionable sites. Another sign is considered constant redirection to suspicious websites. This can lead to the threat of phishing proliferation or other malicious intentions of intruders, which later lead to financial losses.
New and unrecognized add-ons. Note that browser extensions include new settings that you have not previously installed. If you notice this and some other suspicious files, then there is a possibility that your Mac is infected.

How to Remove Search Marquis From Mac

If you notice all the above signs of malware appearing on your device, then you need to take the following actions. First, remove the virus from your Mac device, and secondly reset the default browser settings.

Get rid of the Search Marquis virus with the help of an antivirus:

Select a solid antivirus;
Set it on your Mac;
Start a full system scan;
Next, see attached instructions provided by your antivirus.

Delete files related to the Search Marquis virus manually:

Determine and stop malicious processes: go to the Finder > Go > Utilities > Activity Monitor and Force Quit all suspicious activity.

Determine and remove recently created launch agents: navigate to the Finder > Go > Go to Folder, type /Library/LaunchAgents, and delete unwanted launch agents;

Remove unwanted running agents in other folders: fill the same steps in /Library/Application Support and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders;
Delete unrecognized apps: navigate to the Finder > Go > Applications and transfer all suspicious apps to the bin;

Find and delete malicious Login items: go to the Apple icon > System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login items > Padlock and enter your admin password; Delete them with a minus button at the bottom if there are any recently-added suspicious files.

After you remove the virus from your Mac device, you must also remove it from your browser. To do this we will provide you with the necessary instructions below.

Remove Search Marquis hijacker from your browser

The purpose of the Search marquis browser hijacker is to change the user’s browser settings. It follows that you need to reset all the modified settings by the attacker about the default settings. Below we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to do this:

For Safari users:

Open Safari and tap Develop in the top menu bar. Then tap the Empty Caches;

Tap History in the same Safari top menu, select the Clear History option, and choose to clear all history in the pop-up window;

Go back to earlier mentioned Safari Preferences and go to the Privacy > Manage Website Data > Remove All to delete cookies;

Relaunch Safari.

TIP: If you can’t look for the Develop menu go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced and at the bottom tick the option to show the Develop menu.

For Chrome users:

Launch Google Chrome, tap on the 3 dots in the top right corner for the drop-down list, and select the Settings option;

Tap on the Advanced tab on the left and select the Reset Settings at the bottom;

Verify the reset by pressing the Reset Settings button;

Relaunch Chrome

How can I protect my device against viruses?

Regardless of whether you encounter malware or not, you should consider precautions. We will consider below the most necessary tips for pest prevention.

Regularly update your OS and apps. Because systems have vulnerabilities, malicious software can be more easily harmed. To prevent this, developers of systems and all programs release new updates for them.
Never click on suspicious ads. Today the Internet is full of different content, which allows hackers to also post their malicious ads. In this way, they manage to deceive a large number of users. In order not to fall for this trick, you need to not click on all popup windows in your browser.
Do not open dubious email attachments. Malicious phishing attacks and malware are often distributed via email. Attackers attach their malicious files to a letter that tries to convince the user to press this. So don’t press everything you see in unfamiliar emails.
Do not click on questionable links on social platforms. Social media is another platform for cybercriminals. Through account hacks, hackers manage to distribute malware to another list of users. So before opening suspicious links sent from your friends, check to see if your friend’s account has been hacked.
Protect your device with an antivirus. The best and most reliable way to protect is considered antivirus. If you install strong antivirus protection, you can avoid multiple threats and cyberattacks. Antivirus will from time to time track your system for any pests and will be able to prevent your device from potential attack.

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