SkilledMarketing Extension - How to remove

SkilledMarketing is a malicious extension that causes web browsers to open unwanted sites. It can also cause a bunch of issues with some online apps and websites. SkilledMarketing doesn’t ask to be installed. Instead, it comes in adware bundles that are promoted by malicious ads.

Deleting the SkilledMarketing extension might not be easy – you need to get rid of it and related files, then check the network settings and undo unwanted changes.

SkilledMarketing in short:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
Symptoms of a SkilledMarketing infection	Search results appear on Yahoo, Bing, or another unexpected site, unusual browser ads and redirects, unfamiliar apps installed on their own, network settings changed to force a SOCKS proxy.
How to avoid adware infections	Check unknown installers for malware, use reliable sites to download software from, block malicious websites.
How to remove SkilledMarketing	Find and delete SkilledMarketing and other malware, restore the settings that were hijacked, use safe mode if needed, use anti-malware apps (Spyhunter for Mac, Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, others).

What is the SkilledMarketing extension?

SkilledMarketing causes internet connectivity issues

SkilledMarketing is a malicious extension that attacks Macs and changes their behavior:

• SkilledMarketing causes Yahoo or Bing to deliver search results, regardless of your default search engine settings.
• It may cause some websites to not open.
• Web browsers, chat apps, email clients, and other online apps might become unstable (freeze, crash, etc.).
• Unfamiliar apps might be installed on their own.

SkilledMarketing is one of many apps and extensions that infect Macs in order to control their online traffic: force people to visit affiliate links, inject ads into web pages. It’s very much like MapperState, ConnectSystem, and other malicious extensions.

It may be an AdLoad infection or something similar to that. I recommend this in-depth post by SentinelOne about AdLoad if you want to learn more about what kind of malware threatens Macs.

It spreads with malicious ads

SkilledMarketing comes to Macs in infected installers.

Pirated software and apps downloaded from unsafe sites can come bundled with adware or made up entirely or adware infections. So can fake software updates, such as fake Flash Player installers that are advertised online with obnoxious pop-ups.

You can avoid such infections in a few ways:

• Don’t download software from unknown or unreliable sites.
• Check unfamiliar installers for malware by scanning them with antivirus tools.
• Block malicious sites and ads with anti-malware tools, malicious site blockers, ad blockers.

It’s impossible to completely avoid malware, but if you just protect yourself just a little bit more, you’ll be a lot safer.

How to remove SkilledMarketing

SkilledMarketing is quite persistent. If you open Google Chrome, you might see it say that it’s managed by an organization. This is supposed to prevent you from changing some settings and/or removing certain extensions.

You might also notice unfamiliar startup items, profile configurations, and network settings in your System Preferences. SkilledMarketing and other adware infections use all these settings to control the infected computer.

There are some bandaid solutions that temporarily disable extensions, such as what this Reddit user did, but they don’t permanently get rid of SkilledMarketing.

Removing SkilledMarketing is not as simple as removing an ordinary extension. Below are instructions for deleting unwanted files and restoring settings, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you get to work:

• Try to do it all at once. It’s not uncommon for this type of adware to return on its own, which can happen if it’s not completely removed.
• If there’s some difficulty in deleting malicious files, then use safe mode to stop malware from running and try again.
• It’s possible that SkilledMarketing is not the only malicious extension that was installed. Check your Mac for other malware with anti-malware tools, such as Spyhunter for Mac, Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, etc.

Below are instructions for deleting malicious extensions and restoring the settings that might have been hijacked.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manual remoal instructions

How to remove SkilledMarketing Extension from macOS

Delete SkilledMarketing Extension from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the SkilledMarketing Extension 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.

(Optional) Delete related settings

Some malicious apps make themselves difficult to delete by changing various settings and leaving behind malicious files. Remove settings related to SkilledMarketing Extension.

• Click the Apple logo in the menu bar. Open System Preferences.
• Some malicious applications set profiles to enforce unwanted settings. Remove unwanted configuration profiles.

1. 1. In System Preferences, click the Profiles icon. This icon is only visible if there are profiles on your Mac.
   2. Select unwanted profiles and remove them by pressing the minus '-'  button at the bottom.

• Some adware applications set SOCKS proxy to manipulate your internet traffic. Remove unwanted proxies:

1. 1. In System Preferences, click Network, Advanced, Proxies.
   2. If a proxy is set without your permission, uncheck it and click OK.

(Optional) Delete malicious files

Some malicious apps leave behind dangerous files in your Library folders. Delete files related to SkilledMarketing Extension.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go -> Computer.
3. In the search box, type in SkilledMarketing Extension and variations of it.
4. Delete the files that are found and that seem to be related to SkilledMarketing Extension.

How to remove SkilledMarketing Extension from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

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

TopHow to remove SkilledMarketing Extension from Google Chrome on Mac:

• Open Chrome browser.
• Enter in the url field “chrome://extensions” address and hit Enter.
• Find SkilledMarketing Extension on the extensions list and click on the recycle bin icon next to it.
• Click on 'Chrome' button at the top left corner. Select 'Preferences' on a drop-down menu box.
• Find 'Search' options on Settings tab. If your search engine is changed, click 'Manage Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• On the same page find 'Show home button' checkbox and change your homepage.

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

• On the 'Preferences' menu window, scroll down to the bottom and find 'Reset settings' button. Click it.
• Confirm your selection and click 'Reset' on the following window.

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

How To remove SkilledMarketing Extension from Firefox on Mac OS:

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press cmd+Shift+A on your keyboard).
• Go through Extensions list, remove everything SkilledMarketing Extension 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.
• Enter “about:preferences” in URL bar and hit enter.
• Open Search settings tab.
• If your search engine is changed, click 'Default Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Preferences-> General. Enter a preferable URL to the home page field.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to SkilledMarketing Extension, 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.
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
• Click on the Refresh Firefox button.
• Click on the Refresh 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.