Search.hthenewssource.net is another browser virus by the Polarity Technologies LTD, which is spreading around the cyber world, causing troubles in many people’s computers. By now the majority of online surfers can identify bogus search engines, especially if they appear so suddenly and without asking the permission, however, this does not stop Search.hthenewssource.net from successfully infecting systems and being used for browsing. (How to know when your browser was hijacked)
Hthenewssource Hijacker quicklinks
- Automatic Malware removal tools
- How to remove hthenewssource hijacker using Windows Control Panel
- How to remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from macOS
(Win)
Note: Spyhunter trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions,
(Mac)
Note: Combo Cleaner trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions, Refund Policy ,
Browser hijacker Search.hthenewssource.net has its own ways how to benefit from victims, as well as distribute. No matter that crypto mining is the new top trend which is attracting more and more malware developers, yet Polarity stays loyal to their good-old methods and manages to build a decent revenue from online marketing, affiliate links, and sponsored products, from hijacking viruses like The News Source, The Local Classifieds, Search.hpackagetrackeronline.co, Search.hquickemailaccess.co and tons of other malicious browser extensions, by replacing homepage, search engine, and new tab page. Below we’ll explain why is it actually dangerous to use Search.hthenewssource.net search engine and how to get rid of it once it’s in your system, so, please, keep reading.
Is it dangerous to use Search.hthenewssource.net search
To make a long story short, using Search.hthenewssource.net search engine is indeed dangerous and can result in lots of terrible consequences, that no one should experience when surfing the net. Factually, this hijacker’s main homepage address is not blocked or considered malevolent by any of the antivirus programs, yet if we run a VirusTotal.com analysis on its IP, we can see tons of malicious activities including other hosted browser hijackers, which are detected, related malware files and URLs that communicate with The News Source virus. That just proves the fact that by using Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker is going to result in more notorious threats being placed onto your PC.
There are other reasons why Search.hthenewssource.net is considered to be a browser hijacker and why you should not want to interact with it. Initially, its simple and convenient design with all the shortcuts and quick access buttons will come in handy for those who want to reach their desired websites and social media platforms faster, but this will not be achieved without a price. All the links behind the buttons are actually Dubious affiliate reroutes, which are gaining money for the crooks each time you use it. After clicking on either of them for a second you’ll see a long string appear in the address bar, indicating Pay-per-click marketing as well as sponsored ties between Search.hthenewssource.net and the service. And that is not the only shady thing.
Secondly, if you try using The News Source search, you’ll soon realize that your browsing provider was also changed and now set to Yahoo Search, where you will get redirected each session. This is done to bring Traffic to Yahoo, which also returns the favor by sponsoring the Search.hthenewssource.net creators. However, the search results will be altered to place affiliate links, Third-party offers on the top of the site this way trying to get your click once more, rather than provide relevant information. Not to mention all the other ads, excessive pop-ups, redirects that will be placed on all the websites that you’ll visit. Mind you, all of the above-mentioned activity will be scrupulously recorded, together with your login information, browsing history, credit card details and etc. and later shared with Third-parties. Here is the excerpt from the Polarity Technologies’ Privacy Policy which is used for Search.hthenewssource.net services:
When you use our Services or view content provided by Polarity, we automatically collect and store certain information in server logs. This includes: Search activity when you use web search services (such as search queries) (“Search Data”). Internet protocol address (“IP Address”). The type of browser you are using when using our Services, including your browser’s “user agent” (e.g., Internet Explorer, Safari, and other browsers). Device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser language, and the date and time of your request and referral URL. Your geographic location. The Domain name of your Internet service provider. The source of traffic acquisition. Date of traffic acquisition, and Time and date of certain browser events such as: Chrome extensions enabled……
We will not share the personal information we collect about you with any third party for their own marketing purposes without your consent. We do not sell, license or share information that individually identifies our users with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Polarity. We will share your information in the following ways: We may share your data with our services providers who process your personal data to provide services to us or on our behalf. We have contracts with our service providers that prohibit them from sharing the information about you that they collect or that we provide to them with anyone else or using it for other purposes. We may share your information with our parent company and our affiliates, which are entities under common ownership or control of our ultimate parent company…. Advertisers and advertising networks place ads (including sponsored links in search results) on our site. These companies may collect information, such as your computer’s IP address, browser information, and search queries, as you use our Site and Services. They also may use cookies and other technologies to collect this information when you visit our site as described below.
This should have helped you to understand the importance of reading Privacy Policy before any installation and learn the open secret that Search.hthenewssource.net search engine is, in fact, nothing more than an annoying virus, which can do more damage to your PC and Online identity than the benefit you in any way. In the chapter below you will find out how The News Source extension could have entered your system, as well as the detailed instructions on how to remove it before it manages to cause more harm.
How can Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker disseminate
You could have infected your browser with Search.hthenewssource.net virus in several ways. This might have been an accidental click on the advertisement, that led you to the site which used Javascript to initiate changes in your browser, like replaced default homepage, search engine, and new tabs, or it could have been a download of a bundled program which was secretly compiled with malware and The News Source extension. There are tons of other methods that browser viruses like Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker can spread, but the above-mentioned techniques are what Polarity prefers to disseminate their products. (Risks of browser extensions)
While you can avoid the Malvertising and rerouting links by simply improving your online awareness, and installing a reputable anti-spyware which would block these untrustworthy connections, preventing Search.hthenewssource.net from slithering in through bundles is much harder. That is because shareware sites and torrents can compile The News Source virus into some popular software SetUp Assistants without an option to opt-out and customize the installation precisely selecting the apps you want to set up and which ones no. If possible always download software from official source and select Advanced/Custom mode rather than Recommended/Express.
How to remove Search.hthenewssource.net virus fast
There are two main ways how you can solve the Search.hthenewssource.net virus infection and clean your PC – manually and automatically. The easier and faster method is, of course, the removal using a special anti-spyware tool, which is designed to take care of such virus problems. If SpyHunter and Malwarebytes can detect and uninstall such dangerous threats like ransomware and trojans, then Search.hthenewssource.net browser hijacker will be one easy task.
Automatic malware removal programs are not just for users that do not have a proper technical understanding about computers, above mentioned software is also often used by cybersecurity specialists because it is much more efficient to run a scan and let the application detect files that are related to The News Source virus, rather than looking for them manually, plus all other possibly dangerous threats, that could have used system’s exposed vulnerabilities to sneak in, are also found and removed.
Automatic Malware removal tools
(Win)
Note: Spyhunter trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions,
(Mac)
Note: Combo Cleaner trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions, Refund Policy ,
Uninstalling The News Source browser hijacker yourself will require more dedication to the whole process because you will have to detect all potential sources which are responsible for the Search.hthenewssource.net installation and persistence. It might be a malicious extension or a program in the Control Panel. Mind you, they might have their names changed to be less obvious and easy to remove. When you identify the issues, follow our guidelines below to remove them permanently. After the removal, it is still recommended to run a scan with a proper antivirus security tool and change your settings back to normal. You might want to check your hosts files and DNS settings if they were not altered by the virus for the persistence.
How to remove hthenewssource hijacker using Windows Control Panel
Many hijackers and adware like The News Source install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.- Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
- Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
- Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make hthenewssource hijacker easier to find.
- Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
- In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.
How to remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from macOS
Delete hthenewssource hijacker from your applications.- Open Finder.
- In the menu bar, click Go.
- Select Applications from the dropdown.
- Find the The News Source app.
- Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
- In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.
TopHow To remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from Google Chrome:
- Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
- Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
- Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
- Select Manage Search engines
- Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
- Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
- If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
- Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings
If you are still experiencing any issues related to The News Source, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.
- Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
- Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
- Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.
How To remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from Firefox:Top
- Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
- Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
- If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
- Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
- ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
- Click on theReset Firefox button.
- Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
How to remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from Microsoft Edge:Top
- Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.
- Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
- Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings
- Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.
- Choose Manage search engines.
- Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.
- Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
- Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.
(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings
If you are still experiencing any issues related to The News Source, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings
- Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
- Press the Restore settings to their default values option.
- Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.
How to remove Search.hthenewssource.net hijacker from Safari:Top
Remove malicious extensions- Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
- Select Extensions and uninstall The News Source and other suspicious extensions.
- If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
- Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
- Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
