Hightsearch.com

Hightsearch.com is a search engine that can also be said to be a browser hijacker. This program certainly does not enter your computer because you want to. However, it is very likely that you were the one who allowed it to settle down in your system. Nevertheless, even if that did happen there is no need to panic because this program is not a severe computer security threat. You certainly need to remove Hightsearch.com because it is an undesirable intruder, but there is no need to lose your cool over it because the situation will not fall out of hand as long as you deal with it properly.

We believe that Hightsearch.com comes from a big group of browser hijackers because there seems to be an entire lot of similar websites. For example, our researchers say that this browser hijacker is very similar to mirmay.xyz, happymod.biz, restarting.site, themine.biz, and a number of other pages. Chances are, all of them are built on the same engine, and all of them are used for the same purpose by the people who developed it. The purpose, obviously, is money. Yet, once again, we must point out that Hightsearch.com does not try to steal your banking logins or passwords. It is simply not “clever” enough for that.

Let us go back to the thought we voiced in the first paragraph when we said that you most probably installed this browser hijacker yourself. Perhaps that might sound outrageous to you because no one would want such a program on-board, but it all boils down to the hijacker’s distribution method. As you can probably tell, this program will not be available for download at some official website. Rather than that, hijackers often spread in software bundles with other suspicious applications. For instance, you might have downloaded this program from some file-sharing website.

There are multiple websites out there that host and share freeware applications. These third-party sources often have third-party installers that carry more than just one program. If you are not attentive during the freeware installation, it is very likely that an unwanted application will be installed on your PC. Did you check all the steps in the installation wizard? Have you skipped a few? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you can already see why Hightsearch.com managed to slither into your system. And you are not the only one. This browser hijacker is quite prevalent in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the UK.

We also think that quite a few users decide to leave it be because it looks like the real deal. Or, at least, like a custom version of the Google Search engine. Partially, there is some truth to it because the hijacker uses a custom version of Google Search. However, that does not mean that Google has anything to do with this program. On the contrary, the search engine has clearly been misused without Google’s knowledge, and the name (and even the color scheme!) is utilized to make you think that Hightsearch.com can provide you with relevant search results.

Unfortunately, that is something this program cannot do. Of course, at first, it might seem that the search engine works just fine, but eventually, you will notice an increasing amount of commercial ads on the page and in between your search results. By providing the advertising space for third parties, Hightsearch.com manages to make some money for its developers. And since money is the main objective here, the hijacker will definitely not care what kind of content is embedded in its advertising space. This is where we encounter the main security issue associated with browser hijackers. Since they can be exploited by almost anyone, it is for the best to get rid of them.

You will need to restore your browser settings manually if you want to delete Hightsearch.com. Since the program only affects the Google Chrome browser, we will show you how to change the browser settings in the instructions below. Also, please do not forget to run a full system scan with a computer security tool of your choice because you are bound to have more unwanted programs, too.

You definitely need to terminate all the potential threats at once because cyber criminals will always find a way to enter your system if any openings are left unattended. Do yourself a favor and invest in a licensed antispyware tool right now.

How to Remove Hightsearch.com

1. Open the Chrome browser and press Alt+F.
2. Select Settings and fine the On startup section.
3. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click Set pages.
4. Modify your Startup page and press OK.
5. Select Manage search engines under Search.
6. Set a new default search engine, and delete Hightsearch.
7. Click Done and scan your PC with SpyHunter.