Magala

Magala is an infection that was created to perform click fraud. Also known as Magala Trojan Clicker, this infection was created to slither into an operating system that has an Internet Explorer browser (does not affect version 8 and older). The threat is installed along with a toolbar developed by Mindspark Interactive Network and a browser hijacker that takes over the homepage and the default search provider. Needless to say, if that is done without your permission, you should realize that something is wrong because software cannot appear out of nowhere. If anything unfamiliar was installed illegally, the chances are that you are facing malware and that your operating system is vulnerable to the infiltration of various malicious threats. Although Mindspark toolbars and the MyWay hijacker that follows them are not incredibly dangerous, their emergence can indicate the activity of the malicious Trojan as well. Needless to say, you need to remove Magala from your operating system and Internet Explorer as soon as possible, and you can learn all about the process by reading this report.

While the toolbars created by Mindspark Interactive Network (e.g., OnlineWorkSuite Toolbar, DigiSmirkz Toolbar, or DirectionsOnline) are compatible with more browsers than just Internet Explorer, our research team has found that the suspicious Magala Trojan used IE. Once it slithers into the operating system, it generates fake clicks without the user’s knowledge or consent. The threat creates a virtual Desktop that the user does not notice so that it could perform click fraud on random websites without any interference. The infection silently contacts a remote server to retrieve a list of search queries that are used in the fraud. Once the list is retrieved, Magala sends search queries and clicks the first ten links that show up in the results. According to research, every click is performed with 10 second intervals. Who benefits from this kind of activity? That is advertisers who are paid to promote different advertisements and offers. Needless to say, the services of these advertisers are bogus because, at the end of the day, no one sees the advertisements, and the parties paying for the services are losing money for no good reason.

Although your virtual security is not at risk with Magala performing click fraud, your PC’s resources are being used up for no good reason, and you might suffer a decreased system’s performance. Also, we are sure that you do not want to be involved in such questionable activity. Of course, when thinking about the removal of this Trojan, you cannot forget about the removal of the toolbar and the hijacker that are employed by it. The toolbar might seem to provide you with access to useful sites, and the hijacker might seem to showcase reliable search results. In reality, we do not recommend trusting either of these tools because they use data trackers to spy on you. Also, the hijacker can showcase unpredictable third-party content that might promote unreliable and misleading content. While it is strongly recommended that you delete this software if you installed it yourself, there is no room for discussion if it was installed without your permission. You HAVE to delete it.

It is most likely that you will need to delete Magala if you live in Germany, the US, or France, but, in reality, no one is safe against this threat unless they set up reliable security software. To ensure full-time protection, you need to identify and delete all threats and then install reliable security software. If you want to take the shortcut, you can install anti-malware software right away because it can simultaneously erase malicious infections and protect you against them in the future. If that is not an option of your choosing, you need to remove Magala manually, which you, hopefully, can do using the guide below. The instructions show how to uninstall the undesirable toolbar that has taken over your Internet Explorer as well. If you are having any issues with the elimination process, please leave a comment below. We can also assist you with all virtual security-related questions.

Magala Removal

1. Simultaneously tap keys Win+E to launch Explorer.
2. Enter %LOCALAPPDATA% into the bar at the top.
3. Delete the folder representing the installed Mindspark Toolbar.
4. Launch Internet Explorer and then tap Alt+T.
5. Select Internet options and then click the General tab.
6. Overwrite the URL under Home Page and then click OK.
7. Tap Alt+T keys again and select Manage Add-ons.
8. Navigate to the Search Providers menu and set the desired provider.
9. Remove the undesirable provider and then click Close.

How to uninstall Mindspark Toolbars via Control Panel

Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/Windows Vista:

1. Simultaneously tap Win+R to launch the RUN dialog box.
2. Enter Control Panel to launch the menu and then click Uninstall a program.
3. Right-click the undesirable program and select Uninstall.

Windows XP:

1. Click the Start menu icon on the left of the Taskbar.
2. Open Control Panel and then move to Add or Remove Programs.
3. Remove the undesirable program.