Reliable protection for your browser. How to protect your browser or why the news about a new type of cyber fraud is ridiculous How to protect your browser from viruses

Losing your usual browser settings is easier than it seems at first glance: you just need to end up on some dishonest site, download an application from a dubious source, which will gladly replace home page and will break some other “wood”. You can do it even simpler by simply letting a friend or child use your computer: before you even blink an eye, they will break the system you have set up for themselves.

1. Make sure the browser version installed on your computer is up to date

It is necessary to regularly check how current the browser version installed on your computer or mobile gadget is. Main risk outdated browsers lies in their vulnerability to new viruses and various types of hacker attacks. Long gone are the days when the release of each new version of their browser became a sensational event for the developer: today minor changes are made to their browsers almost every week, and large “numbered” versions of Internet viewers replace each other several times per year. That's why the standard toolkit of almost every modern browser consists of an automatic update module that can ensure that the application is updated on time without the need to manually install it.

Microsoft Browser Internet Explorer usually automatically updated via Windows service Update, but the latest version is always posted on the official website of the Bill Gates Corporation.

In the browser Mozilla Firefox automatic update is turned on in the “Settings” menu in the “Advanced”, “Updates” tab and by checking the box next to the “Automatically install updates” item. With this setting, all recent updates take effect every time you turn on the browser or restart it. You can manually initiate an update by opening the “About Firefox” window: the system will automatically check for updates and begin downloading them.

To check and install updates in Google Chrome you need to go to “Settings” and select the “About” menu item.

In Opera, a similar feature is enabled in “Settings”, in the “Advanced” tab and the “Security” section. Look for the “Opera Update” item in the list on the left side of the window and select “Install automatically”.

2. Keep installed add-ons and plugins up to date

Ideally, every plugin and add-on is updated automatically in modern browsers too. To make sure this option is enabled in your Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+A and go to Manage Add-ons. Next, click on the gear-shaped button and check the box next to “Automatically update add-ons.”

In Chrome, to update applications, you need to go to the “Settings” menu, the “Extensions” section. After activating “Developer Mode” you will see the “Update Extensions” button.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for updates of some add-ons to be affected by malicious code, so to protect yourself from such troubles, install the Extension Defender add-on in your browser (available in versions for Chrome and Firefox).

Level plugins Adobe Reader, Java and Flash are always updated automatically, but you can also use free utility Qualys BrowserCheck, which scans the relevant browser directories and identifies outdated plugins, and at the same time indicates to the computer owner about other security vulnerabilities. This utility is available both online without the need for installation, and as a browser plugin.

3. Prohibit replacing the home page

IN free applications Often there are some “mandatory bonuses” unknown to the user. The most harmless among them is forced substitution home page and settings for opening a new tab in the browser without the user’s knowledge. That is, having installed such an “assistant”, the user will no longer see the pages he has selected when launching the browser or opening a new tab, but will go to the application developer’s website or see some kind of advertising.

Such an ugly attack on your personal preferences can be stopped in Chrome by going to “Settings”, section “ Appearance" and going to the item "Show button Home page" At this point, you need to click on the “Change” link and set your preferred home page address.

IN Firefox browser go to “Settings”, go to the “General” tab and select “Restore to default”, or enter the desired URL.

In Internet Explorer, go to “Tools”, go to “Internet Settings” and click on the “Set as default” button, or enter the URL of the desired page. You can completely prevent substitution of the home page in the Microsoft browser using the SpywareBlaster utility. After installing this application, go to its “Tools” menu, “ Various settings IE" and check the box next to the item prohibiting substitution of the home page in IE. The SuperAntiSpyware application provides similar functionality.

In Firefox, it is not as easy to protect the home page from unauthorized substitution, but having the rights Windows administrator, you can achieve your goal using ready-made scripts (a separate article should be devoted to this topic).

4. Prevent third-party software from changing your browser's default search engine

Various free software often sins not only by replacing the home page in the browser, but also the default search engine. Moreover, the settings of the new search engine can be modified in such a way as to always redirect the victim to virus-infected pages.

To return your previous search engine choice in Google Chrome, you need to go to Settings and select Search. Here you will only have to select your preferred default search engine. All other search engines from the list or dubious offers can be completely removed from this list.

In Firefox, a similar problem is solved by clicking on the arrow in the search bar and selecting “Manage search engines”. Here you can set default search engines and remove unnecessary ones. If this doesn't help, dial address bar"about:config" and click on the "I promise I'll be careful" button. In the set of lines that opens, find “browser.search.defaultengineneme”. Click on this line and in the window that appears, select the appropriate search engine.

In the Microsoft browser, the problem is solved in the “Tools”, the “Manage Add-ons” section and the “Search Engines” item. Select your preferred option and set it as default. You can also remove unnecessary options here. A good bonus is the ability to prevent programs from suggesting changing the default search engine in the appropriate paragraph.

Unfortunately, but reliable way Blocking search engine changes for Chrome and Forefox has not yet been developed.

5. Run the browser in sandbox mode

Despite all the functionality of the vaunted anti-virus software, it is not always capable of stopping unauthorized penetration into browser settings, especially if these changes are preceded by the user’s deliberate installation of some program. The best option To protect your browser from such changes, run it in “sandbox” mode, which is a special shell software, completely isolated from the external software environment.

You can organize such a “sandbox” using free program Sandboxie Free for Windows OS. The free version differs from the paid versions of the program by the ability to run only one sandbox. Sandbox launches in IE, Chrome and Firefox double click to the “Sandboxed Browser” shortcut or by clicking on the Sandboxie icon in the notification area. The program interface is Russified, so even inexperienced users can understand the program settings.

6. Set a password for your browser

If someone else has access to your computer, then they potentially have access to your browsing history (if you don't bother using Incognito mode), and also have the ability to install plugins and extensions in the browser, change settings, log in on your behalf on social networks and create other chaos. Fortunately, there are special add-ons that can protect your personal data from this risk.

The Firefox browser has a built-in Master Password feature, available in the Security tab in the browser settings. Master password blocks unauthorized access to personal data, logins and passwords for various online services. However, the basic functionality of the “master password” is limited and therefore it is recommended to expand it by installing an add-on.

A good example of such an add-on is MasterPassword+, which locks the entire browser by requiring you to enter your password when Firefox starts and after certain periods of inactivity. All add-on settings are displayed in a modified window of the “Protection” tab.

You can protect your personal data in Chrome by using separate user accounts or by installing the ChromePW extension. The latter blocks access to Chrome browser using a password (you can, at your discretion, set the number of attempts to enter the password or add a hint to it). If an attempt is made to bypass ChromePW, the extension automatically closes the browser by disabling it in the task manager.

There is no provision for blocking the browser using a password in Internet Explorer, but you can prohibit changes here through the menu Windows settings in the "Editor" group policies" Press the Win+R key combination and enter gpedit.msc in the line that appears. Go to “Computer Configuration”, select “Administrative Templates”, then “ Windows components" and finally "Internet Explorer". Here you will see settings like do not allow download history to be deleted, do not allow users to enable or disable add-ons, etc. Each option is enabled double click by line and selecting “Enabled”.

Introduction

...the problem is not so much with scammers, but with the fact that the news appeared only now, 27 years after the invention of the first browser and 20 years after the appearance of the first ActiveX extensions for Internet Explorer (if not earlier, I could be wrong). There is a false impression that It was better before.

I remember watching a film about life in an alternative reality in which there was no concept of lying. The main character discovers that he can profit by saying something that is not true. It’s the same now: as if no one guessed that if the expansion Maybe leak the information, this is it will do!

The possibility of data theft is so obvious and it seems so strange to mention it now that I had a suspicion: am I in the right Universe now? After all, when we install browser extensions, a warning appears:

And suddenly a discovery - turns out, extensions that gain access to all sites in a row can leak all user-entered information to their owners. Correspondence, passwords, numbers bank cards- anything!

Previously, people installed Java applications on their phones by clicking on a link in SMS messages, supposedly to view an MMS message. These programs could only do one thing - send SMS to paid numbers, asking permission first from the owner of the phone. And they allowed it, and lost money! APK programs and extensions are now being installed on Android, and warnings about the consequences of installing extensions for browsers and programs have become clearer.

How to protect your browser and data

I propose a list of measures that reduce the chance of sending information to the wrong place:

Run a scan with the program. It is not designed to 100% detect harmful extensions, but it will remove most known ones.
Go to the list installed extensions(in Chrome menu item " Additional tools" - "Extensions, in Mozilla Firefox, select "Add-ons") and check if there are extensions unknown to you. Found - delete. Browsers work fine without extensions. Although there are some useful ones.
Do not install any flash players and browser updates offered on sites. Modern browsers update themselves.
To work with finances, use a separate browser that is not registered in the system. It is more difficult for viruses to penetrate such browsers. For example, you will find portable Mozilla Firefox in Russian listed on PortableApps. Google Chrome and Yandex Browser do not have an official portable version, at least run all sorts of Sberbankonlines in “incognito” mode - all extensions are disabled there by default.
Install the program Unchecky, which will uncheck advertising extensions during program installation.
Keep your antivirus databases up to date. Usually they update themselves, but you never know. Antiviruses are useless when searching for fraudulent extensions, but they will detect Trojans.

There is no one hundred percent protection, but the level of security will increase.

Several predictions

There are many ways to steal information. I'll write in advance to let you know. You will grin condescendingly at the sight of another panic: you already knew this a long time ago!

Photos

Some people will be shocked to learn that photographs not taken through standard application The phone's "camera" may become public knowledge. The fact is that sometimes processing does not take place on the phone, but on the servers of the authors of the camera programs and the photographs may remain somewhere.
Unexpectedly it turns out that image processing services do not delete photos, but store them carefully. And someday everyone will see photos of cats.
It’s already known, but I’ll mention it: in Windows it’s very easy, including secretly. So, alas, duct tape over the camera eye is a necessary measure.

Sound

You can also record your conversations on the computer. Even if only headphones without a microphone are connected, theoretically this is possible. Fortunately, computers Bye poorly recognize speech, so attackers Bye they cannot wiretap an unlimited number of people “on stream” in order to fish out logins, passwords and PIN codes spoken out loud. I repeat - for now they can't.

Messages

Suddenly (surprise!) all your online correspondence can be stored forever and leaked to anyone who is interested in it, including scammers. For example, the popular QIP was hacked.
This also applies to SMS. For private conversations, use it - perhaps nothing easier to use than its secret chats has yet been invented.

Clipboard

Do you like to copy and paste passwords from the “secret” file “passwords.doc” lying on your Desktop? Trojans do not need to look for such documents; it is enough to monitor changes in the Windows Clipboard. By the way, now browsers do not know how to automatically read its contents, but if such a possibility is found, it will be enough open tab with a malicious website to collect sensitive data.

Saved passwords in browsers

This is convenient for both the user (no need to re-enter passwords) and attackers (files with passwords are in the same place and can be easily decrypted).

People tell themselves their passwords

From time to time, in the comments under popular posts, I am asked questions and asked to answer email, and indicate the address and password. For what?!

Something else

I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future, when 4K webcams become popular, viruses will spy on passwords being typed in the reflection of the pupils...

Let me sum it up

If you run the program, it can steal your logins and passwords. Don't run everything.
If you see a warning about what an application can do, it really can do it. Do not install add-ons and updates for browsers that are offered to you on websites. Be prudent, read reviews. If in doubt, ask knowledgeable users advice. You can ask me.

Today, there are many browser plugins that promise to protect user privacy. In this article we will look at the most popular browser plugins that protect from advertising on the Internet.

Block ads, scripts and pop-ups with AdBlock Plus

Ad and script blockers provide control over your browsing experience. They allow you to block ads on sites you visit and prevent the execution of scripts and widgets that send user data to unknown destinations.

But if you don't know how to use such tools, they can interfere with your browsing, making them unusable until you figure out what to allow and what to block. Additionally, by blocking ads, you can have a pretty significant impact on the site and the people working on it.

AdBlock Plus (Firefox/Chrome/Safari) blocks advertising banners, pop-ups, video ads and much more. It prevents you from visiting domains that host malware, and also disables third-party tracking cookies and scripts. We believe it combines ease of use with whitelisting and automatic control, making it a tool that anyone can use. Advanced users can get their hands on and experiment with the different subscription lists and active list settings they use.

Alternatives:

In our opinion Adblock Plus is best choice, but there are several other plugins that do the same thing.

Let's consider other options Internet advertising protection:

uBlock Origin for Chrome and Firefox is supported by the original developer. The plugin is as powerful as AdBlock Plus. Perhaps even more powerful because, unlike ABP, it gives you more control over what to block and what to allow. It also takes up less system resources and does not cause problems like ABP. whose creators are paid by some large companies to ensure their ads fall within the "acceptable advertising" policy. The only reason uBlock Origin isn't our favorite is that it's a bit complex for first-time users and blocks more than ABP. So first you need to understand it in order to customize it to your needs. And second: ABP has features like Facebook cleaning, hiding YouTube comments and much more that uBlock Origin doesn't... at least until you're old enough experienced user to do it yourself. If you consider yourself an advanced user, remove ABP and install uBlock Origin;
NoScript ( Firefox) and ScriptSafe ( Chrome, formerly ScriptNo): both disable script execution on pages until the user enters them into whitelist. Block execution of Java, JavaScript, Flash and other components. They are powerful, but very aggressive and interfere with the functioning of many sites. If you're going to use them, be prepared to understand the scripts on every site you visit to figure out which ones make the site work. Besides this, AdBlock Plus already does this ( and less aggressive), you just need add correct filters.

If you don't use additional features AdBlock Plus for cutting out various YouTube junk or not blocking certain elements, try uBlock Origin. It will work wonders - it will reduce the amount of memory consumed by your browser, and as a result you will get a more powerful and customizable online ad protection tool for free. Although you will have to tinker with it to make it work exactly the way you want.

Blocking all tracking requests with Disconnect

Includes anti-tracking and anti-cookie extensions.

Disconnect Private Browsing ( Firefox/Chrome/IE/Safari) is our choice because it protects against tracking, malware and malicious advertising, provides secure Wi-Fi and provides optimization functionality bandwidth, which is simply not available in other tools. It blocks tracking cookies and gives you control over all scripts and site elements from an easy-to-use toolbar.

Disconnect can protect you even when malware embeds its advertisements on popular pages or an ad network is infected with embedded malware software. The plugin also protects against tracking via social networks such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, which use the browser to collect data about you even outside of their social platforms. Finally, Disconnect protects you when an attacker can use stolen cookies to access personal data without having to steal your password.

Alternatives:

Disconnect is our favorite plugin of the bunch, but there are other browser extensions that do the same thing:

Privacy Badger ( Chrome/Firefox) - since he is new to this field, he tried to take the best from all previously created plugins. Acts too softly - blocks unwanted actions and creates a "blacklist" when it observes bad behavior, instead of blocking specific sites, cookies, and pop-ups. This makes it more lightweight, but it provides a little less protection, at least as long as it learns based on your behavior. You also get an easy-to-operate button on the toolbar that gives you a completely clear view of your information being recorded. System " Green / yellow / red» shows whether you are being tracked across sites or not;
Do Not Track Me ( Firefox/Chrome/IE/Safari): Offers a drop-down browser toolbar that shows you what tracking cookies and scripts are being loaded on the site and allows you to disable them completely. Has a friendly interface. It also leaves plugins and scripts running until you turn them off. Disconnect is much more powerful and functional, Do Not Track Me is suitable for those people who want to download online ad protection and disable elements selectively;
Ghostery ( Firefox/Chrome/Safari/IE): Just like other browser extensions, Ghostery blocks tracking cookies and scripts during loading. Displays a list of blocked items so you can see if the blocked items are harmless. The Ghostery database is huge and provides the ability to block everything or something specific. Unfortunately, Ghostery has problems selling information to advertisers, so you might want to stay away from it.

You could argue that Disconnect, Do Not Track Me and Ghostery do the same thing, but we still think Disconnect is the most reliable of the three. We like Privacy Badger's approach" learn as you go", but we can't argue that it will provide less protection when entering the tracking area than any other plugin. By the way, new version Disconnect is only available for Firefox and Chrome, so if you prefer Safari, IE, or Opera, we'd suggest Do Not Track Me.

Essentially it comes down to personal preference: what doesn't interfere with your browsing and what works best in the browser you use most often. So if one plugin doesn't work, don't be afraid to try another one.

Desktop and mobile protection Disconnect Desktop

The Disconnect browser tool is worth downloading, and we recommend it for those who want privacy or faster web browsing. If you want to go even further, new desktop package Disconnect Private Browsing, which we mentioned above, with its own proxy and VPN will ensure the safety of your web surfing. It checks connections against a list of malware embedded in ad networks, monitors tracking tools for known malicious hosts and sites, and then simply blocks them.

The free version of the Disconnect desktop suite includes the browser plugins we mentioned above, with its own search service and a basic proxy server that keeps your web surfing safe. When you upgrade to Disconnect premium for $5 per month or $50 per year, you can get these features along with mobile applications for iOS and Android.

This is great service protection against advertising on the Internet, and, frankly, there is no alternative to it. However, the premium price may be too high for some people. We think you should sign up for a VPN, especially when you're in a Wi-Fi zone or on untrusted networks, but Disconnect is designed for privacy and security. For many people, the Disconnect extension is all they need for protection.

Additional privacy tools

HTTPS Everywhere ( Firefox/Chrome) is required no matter what security measures you choose to use. After installation, the extension will check the connection using SSL and try to find secure versions sites you visit. This is a great way to protect your web surfing.

Virtual private network(VPN) encrypts all your Internet traffic and offers maximum possible protection from prying eyes. Look for a provider that stores only the minimum required logs for troubleshooting, offers strong encryption, has a good reputation among users, and provides plenty of options. Don't rush to any offshore VPN just because your VPN provider is located in a distant country. If you're just looking free service, to protect yourself while you surf the Internet, and at the same time you are not ready to try a full-fledged paid VPN service ( or your own), try Hideman or Tunnelbear.

Antivirus utilities important for protecting safety. Try to avoid suspicious sites, practice good online hygiene, and keep your antivirus tools up to date.

Other security tools you may need

We've covered the most important and necessary tools for privacy and security, but there's always one more step you can take to make sure your communications aren't intercepted or read by third parties. Here are some more tools for better protection from advertising on the Internet.

Attention. Yandex Browser warns you when you go to a dangerous site, but is not a full-fledged anti-virus product. At the same time, Protect technology protects the browser from computer threats that antiviruses do not block. For complete protection, we recommend using both.

How does blocking happen?
Interaction with antiviruses
Disabling protection

Why Yandex.Browser blocks infected pages

Attackers distribute malware that interferes with the operation of the computer, stealing, distorting or deleting information. Dangerous programs enter your computer through removable storage media or the Internet. The browser protects you from malware that spreads over the Internet.

If the page is infected with malware, the browser will warn you about it.

How does blocking happen?

Before opening a page, Yandex.Browser checks it against the list of infected pages. The addresses of infected pages are stored in a special database, which is updated by both Yandex and our partners. The page found in the database is blocked.

If a dangerous page is not detected in the database, but the browser sees it as a threat, the main characteristics of the page are sent to Yandex, where a detailed check is carried out using machine learning algorithms. If a page is considered dangerous, it is blocked and a warning page is shown. You can:

Close page. Click the button Leave the page.

View a copy of the page before infection. Click the button Secure copy.

Find out more information about malware. Follow the link to a page with complete infection data.

Go to dangerous page. Click the button Ignore this warning.

If you need to open a dangerous page

Take the following safety precautions:

Please note that these measures do not protect against infection, but only reduce its likelihood and help eliminate the consequences.

Interaction with antiviruses

The protection mechanism in Yandex.Browser does not conflict with other security applications (antiviruses and firewalls). If an antivirus is installed on the system, it can detect malware before the browser. In this case, you will see a message from the antivirus, not the browser.

If Yandex.Browser blocks your site

If Yandex.Browser has blocked your site as infected, delete malicious code. During the next indexing, the Yandex robot will exclude your site from the list of dangerous ones.

Distributed online huge amount viruses that in every possible way interfere with the comfortable work of users with the computer. Some of them use a browser for their activities. Next, we will tell you how to detect that a browser virus is running on your computer and how to remove it. Will be shown various solutions for the most popular browsers.

How to recognize that the problem is a virus

The user's first question is how to determine the presence of malware. Sometimes many users do not even realize that there is a virus on their computer. The following signs will help you determine its presence:

Warning messages that your computer will be locked so you need to update some application, e.g. Flash Player. Naturally, the provided link will lead to the attackers’ website.
Regular appearance of images or videos with erotic content when opening websites (yes, you didn’t open anything like that).
Creating new tabs or windows in the browser without the user's knowledge.

These are the most common signs of browser problems.

Virus removal methods

You can get rid of viruses in several ways (starting from a full scan of the system with an antivirus and ending with the removal of all add-ons). We will talk about these and other methods in more detail below.

Full system scan for viruses

The first mandatory step is to scan your entire computer for viruses. We recommend using the Dr.Web CureIt utility. You can download it on the official website of Doctor Web. The program does not require installation, so you just need to move it to a USB flash drive, insert the drive into your computer and start the process.

After downloading the utility, follow a few simple steps:

The process may take several hours if the number of files is large enough. After scanning, the window will display a list of dangerous files. Dr.Web can cure them, move them to quarantine or delete them. The user makes decisions about actions. The check can be performed by any other installed antivirus(Eset, NOD32 and so on), however, there is no guarantee that the system files of the antivirus software were not damaged either. After removing viruses, we recommend restarting your computer and reinstalling your browser. The problem should go away.

Checking browser extensions and plugins

Many users actively expand the functionality of their browser using plugins. Not every one of them actually does useful things if the add-on was installed from third-party resources. The check is performed using the following method:

Disable absolutely all plugins that are in the browser.
Next, turn on one of them, and then see if the problems remain.
If everything works correctly, disable this plugin, but add it to the safe list.
Enable the following plugin and “test” it.

Working with only one extension is justified by the fact that two plugins can simultaneously cause problems in the functioning of the browser (they can conflict with each other). All that remains is to figure out where to find add-ons for each browser.

Internet Explorer

If you use this legendary browser from Microsoft, then you will definitely need information about using add-ons. To disable you need to follow the following steps:

Microsoft Edge

The newest Edge makes working with extensions as easy as possible:

Without any special differences, plugins are disabled and removed in Opera browser. The user needs to do the following:

Please note that there is no delete button. A cross will appear in the upper corner when you hover over the window. It is he who is responsible for erasing the addition.

Mozilla Firefox

To work with plugins in Firefox you need to do:

Please note that here third party applications divided into "extensions" and "plugins". We recommend taking a look at both tabs.

Google Chrome

Settings for plugins in Chrome are also quite quick and easy:

Safari

The functionality of Apple's Safari browser also allows you to flexibly customize the operation of extensions:

launch Safari;
in the menu go to “Settings”;
go to the “Extensions” section;
To deactivate the required plugin, uncheck the “Enable” box.

Yandex.Browser

The developers of the Yandex browser did not reinvent the wheel, so setting up add-ons occurs along a path that is already familiar to many:

Checking the browser shortcut

Viruses often change the description of the shortcut, which is why when the browser starts, the commands written in the “Object” field are automatically executed. Correcting the situation is quite simple: you need to go to the shortcut properties, and then delete all the entries that follow the path to the file.

After editing, don't forget to click the "Apply" button.

Checking recently installed programs and applications

Third-party applications are the source of problems in many cases. We recommend that you go to the “Programs and Features” section, and then carefully study the entire list of installed software.

Some viruses in the form of programs are displayed in this list, for example, the Vulcan Casino advertising generator. The user needs to click right click mouse over the line and select “Delete”. If you encounter errors during uninstallation, locate the directory location on your hard drive, and then manually clear the folder of the program's files.

Checking the hosts file

IN operating systems Windows has a special hosts file. It contains a database of domain names and network addresses, which are used for broadcasting. Simply put, by changing or adding data to this file, you can make a transition to a third-party resource without the user’s knowledge. The user will think that he is opening the site he needs.

The file is located in the following path:

Open it through regular Notepad and check if there is anything written in it extra lines. For example, the file may have a site blocked or a redirection performed.

The content should look like the image below.

If third-party lines are constantly added to hosts after deletion, scan the entire computer for viruses.

Checking processes in Task Manager

Quite often, viruses “reveal” themselves by additional expense traffic, RAM or processor resources. In this case, the task manager allows you to identify them. It is called by the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Del. Go to the “Processes” tab and see what consumes the most resources. For example, some process loads at 90-100% hard drive or processor, but you did not run anything on the computer. This is a possible sign of the presence of a virus.

You need to right click computer mouse by process and select “File location”. If he isn't system file, then most likely it is that same malware.

For testing, you can disable this process to check if the system is working properly. Be careful when deleting any files. First read on the Internet what each of them is needed for. Incompetence in this matter can lead to critical errors and the need to restore Windows.

Checking the "Task Scheduler"

Automatic inclusion of the browser or advertising may be associated with setting the appropriate actions in the task scheduler. This is a special section in Windows that automatically runs necessary software, for example, daily checks for driver updates and so on. We recommend that you carefully study what is in the task scheduler:

Using special programs

Cleaning your browser from dangerous software is a rather problematic task. To make this process easier, third party developers create specialized software, which, similar to an antivirus, searches for various ad viruses and browser malfunctions.

Malwarebytes

Functional software for cleaning a PC or laptop from “browser” viruses. There are versions for Windows, MacOS and even Android. The software is paid, but you can download a trial version. Malwarebytes checks memory, startup files, registry, file system and performs heuristic analysis. It is possible to generate detailed reports and move dangerous files in quarantine.

Many experts put this software on par with Norton and Kaspersky Antivirus products, so in desperate situations, be sure to try Malwarebytes.

AdwCleaner

The most simple and convenient program for cleaning your computer. The software has quite wide capabilities:

removal of almost any type of adware, built-in panels;
Performs a full scan of services, folders, shortcuts and files;
works with most current browsers;
clear and extremely simple interface;
software portability.

Published in Russian completely free of charge. We recommend that you always have this utility on a flash drive.

There are also special cases of the solution that may work in individual browsers. It is precisely such cases that we will talk about next.

"Yandex.Browser"

This browser is one of the newest applications, so even the latest versions may experience glitches. In most cases, a typical reinstallation of the program helps solve them. Don't forget to backup your important data first: passwords, bookmarks, and so on. We also recommend cleaning temporary files:

Select "JavaScript Settings". Be sure to empty the folder of all contents.

The accumulated “garbage” can create problems in the browser.

Internet Explorer

In Internet Explorer, to remove an ad virus, you will need to turn off each application one by one in order to look for the culprit in this way. After each disconnection, do not forget to restart your browser. Once you have identified the source of the advertisement, be sure to remove it.

The main causes of “infection”

The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from happening. Every user should know where malware comes from on their computer. This will allow you to be as careful as possible in the future, while protecting your personal data. In most cases, the user “picks up” viruses in the following places:

Visiting phishing sites. Such resources are created specifically to infect as many computers as possible.

The lack of an antivirus only makes these problems worse.

How to prevent the problem

To avoid the hassle of removing ads in your browser or searching for viruses, we recommend following important tips that will help you perform safe surfing on the Internet. First, always have an antivirus on your computer.

Windows has its own security system, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. Install Dr.Web, Eset, NOD32, Avast or any other well-known antivirus on your PC or laptop. Most of them have free versions or public license keys. We also recommend carrying out full check files on your computer once a week.

The second tip is to avoid visiting sites with questionable content. Majority search engines carefully filter Internet resources, but some dangerous Internet resources end up in search results. If a site has a strange address, do not go to it. Often search engines themselves warn users about fraudulent activity.

We recommend not going beyond trusted services and social networks. You can download the necessary software from large trackers after reading the comments on a specific distribution. If money is not a problem, buy licensed software.

Try not to store important information V electronic form. This applies to logins and passwords for social networks and financial application. Browsers always offer high level secure storage of passwords, but it is still possible to steal personal information. Don’t be lazy to enter the password yourself every time; perhaps this will keep your account safe if viruses get on your computer.

Be sure to make backups. If you write a book, a diploma on your computer, or store a Bitcoin wallet file, make several copies on a flash drive. There are a number of viruses that encrypt all information on a computer, making it inaccessible to users. In the absence backup copies losses can be critical.

We also recommend setting up Windows system formation of recovery points. If problems are detected, you can “roll back” your Windows to a state when everything worked correctly. Points are created in the “System Properties” menu, “System Protection” tab.

Follow these tips and you will keep your personal data safe. If problems arise, use specialized software for cleaning ad viruses, check the task scheduler, autorun and the hosts file.

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