Private.search-protection.com virus - How to remove

Private.search-protection.com can be categorized as a browser hijacker which redirects compromised Mozilla/Chrome/Opera/Edge or Safari users to the various ads, websites, services which sponsor the virus to increase the traffic and spread some sort of product. In order to achieve the best advertising results ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ threat makes itself as default search engine and fully controls what the victim sees when browsing.

What is special about the ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ browser hijacker is that unlike Polarity’s search.hontheradio.co, Search.hmytemplates.co and Airfind’s clarobuscar.com, which right away display the search results from Yahoo, Bing or etc., private.search-protection.com has it’s own unique search engine. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as you would expect. To find out more about this special feature, removal methods and other interesting facts about the ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ parasite keep reading this article.

How to recognize the ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ virus

According to browser hijackers is an old computer problem, yet still very widespread. As a matter of fact, every day around 4 million devices get infected globally. These browser hijackers can look very different but the intrusion/working tactics are pretty much the same.

Usually, most antivirus software does not notice when you download private.search-protection.com virus, because it hides with other programs and quickly installs as a ‘legitimate-looking’ browser add-on. That is why the chance that you will catch PrivateSearchProtection’ parasite before it gets into your computer is very slim. In reality, the earliest stage you can catch a browser hijacker is already after the final virus setup when instead of your regular search engine and homepage you will see private.search-protection.com pretending to be your default choice. (Mozillas guide on hijacking).

If you decide to use ‘the new’ browser you will soon notice the interesting thing we mentioned at the beginning of an article – despite claiming to be such powerful private search engine it cannot even work as a proper browsing tool. Once you enter a keyword it displays a website which says that the ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ couldn’t find any results and that you should try putting your inquiries into the Bing/ Yahoo or Google, whose icons conveniently are right below the search. 

Obviously by redirecting users to the major search engines ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ browser hijacker collects the revenue from each company depending on the click amount and etc. However you should be aware that besides collaborating with known corporations private.search-protection.com works also with malicious websites/products without checking what they do as long as they get paid. That means that your already vulnerable system becomes even more susceptible to other viruses which can be hiding behind any click.

You should also notice the unusual amount of advertisements, slower PC and browsing experience, pop-ups, banners, random program installations without your consent and etc. What will also be happening but you won’t know – private.search-protection.com will be tracking your every step online, recording logins data, credentials, location, searched and visited websites and later would sell it to the Third parties, who do God-knows-what with the information they get.

How was ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ threat installed into your browser

The main spreading methods include bundling, also installing together with single programs/picture/video files downloaded from the suspicious websites, software, torrents, after clicking the malicious hyperlinks/ads or with spam email attachments. More about that on Lifewire.com.

The main private.search-protection.com page creates a false sense of security because of the safe green lock marked HTTPS extension and the words it uses in the name – ‘protection’ and ‘private’, but you must be really careful with such sneaky virus. According to the virustotal.com some cybersecurity programs recognize it as a malicious malware. Therefore remove deceptive browser hijacker as soon as you notice it substituting your usual homepage. Or better prevent getting it in the first place with applying these simple while browsing.

How can you delete ‘PrivateSearchProtection’ browser hijacker

No matter what operating system or browser you are using, private.search-protection.com targets anyone with the connection to the internet. In the first place, we advise you to run a complete system scan with either Spyhunter or Malwarebytes. Then by following the instructions delete the found threat.

Automatic Malware removal tools

If by any chance you can’t delete the virus automatically or PrivateSearchProtection browser hijacker doesn’t allow you to download an anti-malware tool follow the manual removal guide below.

“Manual

How to remove search-protection virus using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like PrivateSearchProtection 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 Private.search-protection.com virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make search-protection virus 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 Private.search-protection.com virus from macOS

Delete search-protection virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the PrivateSearchProtection app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopHow To remove Private.search-protection.com virus 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 PrivateSearchProtection, 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 Private.search-protection.com virus 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 Private.search-protection.com virus 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to PrivateSearchProtection, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• 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.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.

How to remove Private.search-protection.com virus 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 PrivateSearchProtection, 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 Private.search-protection.com virus from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall PrivateSearchProtection 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to Private.search-protection.com virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• 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.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.