TotalSearch malware - How to remove

TotalSearch is a malware that attacks solely Mac computers and immediately affects all available browsers – Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Considering the intrusive infiltration without the user’s intention, TotalSearch may be fairly classified as a PUP (potentially unwanted program). Its purpose is to perform several malicious functions on the targeted device. On the one hand, the malware spies over the user’s browsing activities in order to collect personal details. On the other hand, it displays intrusive pop-up ads that aim to support third-party websites.

As long as TotalSearch malware remains active, you will experience considerable system slowdown. Your affected browsers may be functioning in a very slow manner, with tabs permanently freezing or crashing. The malware will additionally produce a negative impact on all your devices, causing high CPU usage and consuming a lot of system resources. The worst thing is that TotalSearch simply does not perform any valuable function that could be a valid reason to keep it.

Behavior of TotalSearch as adware.

Upon successful installation, TotalSearch malware immediately performs important system modifications in order to start its malicious activities as soon as your Mac OS is loaded. The adware hijacks certain important browser settings in order to display the wide range of intrusive ads, such as:

• deals;
• coupons;
• pop-ups;
• advertisement banners.

TotalSearch uses the functionality of the virtual layer to display its supported content on top of other important information of the websites you visit. As a result, you may not be able to properly view the relevant information of the desired resources. Ads by TotalSearch will cover many parts of the screen in order to encourage you to click on them. However, the research shows that interacting with these ads may lead you to all kinds of dangerous pages, for instance:

• hacked websites that contain malicious scripts leading to installation of malware;
• fake Adobe Flash Player update alerts bundled with installers of other PUPs;
• fictitious surveys, questionnaires or rewards used for gathering personal information about you;
• landing pages of third-party browser extensions that hijack important browser parameters.

The list of negative pages promoted by means of TotalSearch is not limited by the items mentioned above. We strongly advise that you stay away from clicking on the ads promoted by this shady application. Its authors claim that the software will essentially improve your browsing habits, whereas, in reality, TotalSearch uses the resources of your Mac for promoting malicious websites that may potentially result in serious problems from your device.

How TotalSearch acts as spyware.

Continuous spying over your browsing is another feature of TotalSearch. It keeps records of all your online actions, for instance, the pages you visit (their URLs), the search queries you submit, IP addresses and geographical locations. Even your previous browsing history is under the permanent survey and analysis.

The danger of spying by TotalSearch is that the collected information may potentially reach online criminals absolutely illegally. For instance, the sensitive data may be sold to the frauds for making revenue. Sooner or later, it may result in considerable financial loss or even identity theft.

How to uninstall TotalSearch malware effectively?

In order to get rid of TotalSearch manually please consider implementing the following steps:

1. use the “Command-Option-Esc” to open the Force Quit Applications menu;
2. locate TotalSearch, right-click on it and select “Force Quit“;
3. uninstall TotalSearch from your available Mac applications;
4. inspect available browser extensions to delete possibly remaining components of the TotalSearch adware in the add-ons sections.

Based on the fact that TotalSearch malware got into your system stealthily and unintentionally, we strongly advise that you perform additional scanning of your Mac with the effective anti-virus software that will properly detect and delete other concealed threats that may be still in place.

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