Secure-finder.org

Secure-finder.org may sound like the best search provider out there, but our security experts say that this program is a browser hijacker. It means that the program enters your computer for the money. Of course, it is not too sophisticated, and so it cannot steal your financial information or make you give away your banking logins and passwords. Nevertheless, it can still prove to be quite dangerous, so you have to remove Secure-finder.org from your computer at once. It goes without saying that one should not tolerate programs that were installed without one’s permission. And this browser hijacker is exactly the type of a program.

Sometimes it might be hard to determine whether a program is potentially harmful or not. Especially when the said program has an official distribution source. Secure-finder.org can actually be added to the Chrome browser via the Chrome Web Store, although we do not think that users often install this extension willingly. Luckily, the program only supports Chrome and Firefox, so a good chunk of web users will not be affected by this intruder. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that the installer file for this hijacker could still enter your computer even if you do not use any of the supported browsers.

How does that happen? The point is that direct distribution is definitely not the only way for Secure-finder.org to enter your system. Freeware, browser extensions, add-ons, hijackers, and other undesirable products might as well come bundled in one software package. If you tend to download programs from unfamiliar sources or file-sharing sites, there is a good chance that you will end up installing a list of unwanted applications. It is very often that users do not grasp the potential security issues that may arise with installing unfamiliar applications. Also, they do not know that third-party installers could bring more than just one application.

In a way, it would be possible to avoid installing browser hijackers and other unfamiliar software if you were to go through the installation wizard carefully and step by step. But since users tend to breeze through the installation, programs like Secure-finder.org easily enter multiple systems worldwide. According to our data, this browser hijacker mostly affects users in India, but it is also quite prevalent in Pakistan, Angola, Indonesia, and Brazil. Also, more than 98% of the affected users access the main Secure-finder.org site by searching. Thus, it would be possible to assume that users who end up having Secure-finder.org on their computers have had some unwanted program prior to the browser hijacker infection.

It is important to understand that such undesirable applications seldom travel alone, and if Secure-finder.org manages to enter your system, you can expect for unwanted apps to arrive, too. Although the official description says that this program does not “store, collect, or share any personally identifiable information,” the program does change the new tab, homepage, and search engine settings. And that definitely might seem like an intrusion you should not tolerate.

With Secure-finder.org on your computer, all of your web searches will be redirected to plusnetwork.com. This website is also considered part of a browser hijacker network. Not to mention that your Google or Yahoo! Search results will also be redirected to the previously mentioned domain. It just means that the browser hijacker monitors your online activity, and it tries to collect as much information about you, as possible. Later on, it can use the collected information to generate custom content that you might find attractive. All browser hijackers require users to engage with the promoted content because that is how they make money for their developers.

Is it safe to engage with the customized commercial content? Not really. Of course, Secure-finder.org does not promote malicious content on purpose, but at the same time, the hijacker has no say in what kind of content is embedded in its advertising space.

Consequently, it is also possible for Secure-finder.org to be exploited by cyber criminals to promote their dangerous web pages. Although it is really the worst-case scenario, you should do all you can to avoid it, and for that, you have to remove Secure-finder.org right now.

You can find the manual removal instructions right below this description; although we would strongly recommend investing in a licensed antispyware tool that would help you detect and remove other potential threats. For other questions, please do not hesitate to leave us a comment.

How to Remove Secure-finder.org

Firefox

1. Press Alt+T and click Add-ons.
2. Open the Extensions section.
3. Remove the Secure Finder extension.
4. Restart your browser.

Chrome

1. Press Win+R and type %LOCALAPPDATA%. Click OK.
2. Go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions.
3. Delete the oejmjgpcjdhkfogbaeacbilelabdkckc folder.
4. Go back to the Default folder. Open the Sync Extension Settings folder.
5. Delete the oejmjgpcjdhkfogbaeacbilelabdkckc folder.
6. Go back to the Default folder.
7. Find and delete the Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files.