SearchZone

Do you know why SearchZone introduces itself as a “single purpose extension?” That is because it is pretty much useless. It claims that it can help you browse the web – which, allegedly, is its sole purpose – but it cannot even do that properly. If you install the extension, it introduces you to a search tool that redirects all search queries to search.yahoo.com. Yahoo Search is a well-known and respected search engine, but it cannot be trusted when another search engine is involved. That is because the results can be modified. What does that mean? When you are redirected to search.yahoo.com, you can find normal search results, but among them, advertisements are included as well. Online advertisements are not inherently malicious, but when you are introduced to them in such a suspicious way, you have to stop and think. We recommend removing SearchZone without hesitation, but if you are not sure why that would be necessary, you should read this report. If you want to delete the extension immediately, we have a guide for you.

Just like SearchOpedia, SearchConverter, SearchAholic, SearchHD, and all other extensions created and represented by Webcoapps, the suspicious SearchZone has its own website, install.search-zone.com. The official installer of this potentially unwanted program (PUP), however, can be found on the Chrome Web Store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/searchzone/pffnooppclkbdcgfimcnlejkomocahca). Of course, as always, the installer of this PUP could be attached to other programs represented via software bundles, and if this is how you were introduced to SearchZone as well, you have to consider the possibility that other threats exist. The PUP is identified as a threat because it could be used to expose people to potentially unreliable links. The truth is that we cannot predict what would happen every time someone clicked on ads represented by unknown parties. Unfortunately, some people might ignore this issue simply so that they could use the free file and currency converters represented via portal.search-zone.com, which should be set as the New Tab page after the PUP’s installation.

The default search provider is replaced with feed.search-zone.com after SearchZone is installed, and both the FEED and the PORTAL tools are meant to introduce the PUP’s users to Yahoo Search. Enter any search keyword into the browser’s address bar or the dedicated search box, and you are automatically routed to search.yahoo.com. Some people might find the injected ads very attractive, and that is not an accident. The PUP can read browsing history and use tracking cookies to record various kinds of user-related data. It is unlikely to be personally identifiable, but information about your preferences and browsing activities could help unknown advertisers create highly attractive links. Yes, SearchZone shares information about you with unknown advertisers. Overall, if you look at all of these things separately, the PUP does not seem like a threat. However, if you take into account that it tracks and shares information, redirects to a popular search engine to increase the chances of users clicking on ads, and also does not really offer anything useful, deciding whether or not to remove it should be a no-brainer.

Can you delete SearchZone from Google Chrome? You might be intimidated by the idea of having to delete something like this potentially unwanted program, but only if you have never done anything like it in the past. If you choose to follow the instructions below, you will realize that deleting PUPs is not a big deal, and you will know how to eliminate undesirable extensions and clear Chrome browsing data in the future. Do you know why clearing browsing data is important? We recommend taking this step because the PUP employs data-trackers to record information about you, and to stop that, you need to start fresh. You could reset your entire browser but erasing certain data should be enough. Once you have SearchZone removed, it is a good idea to inspect your operating system for additional threats. As we mentioned earlier, other PUPs or even malware could spread in software bundles along with the suspicious extension. If you need help eliminating any additional threats or securing your system, implementing trusted anti-malware software is the best option you’ve got.

SearchZone Removal

1. Open the browser and immediately enter chrome://extensions into the address bar.
2. In the Extensions menu, identify the PUP, and click the Remove button next to it.
3. Enter chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar and go to Advanced.
4. Select a time range in which the PUP was installed, check boxes, and click Clear data.