What Is Thesafesearch Browser Plugin? — Fix Guide

TheSafeSearch – What is it?

“TheSafeSearch” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is distributed as a plugin for your internet browser. It is typically advertised as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to browse some certain info, for example, about sport events, make your browser a lot more secure, allow downloading of any web video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

Nevertheless, the “TheSafeSearch” plugin is fairly pointless because all such features are already integrated to your browser and/or Windows. Such advertising mottos are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. However frequently even professional users are getting caught on such a lure. In certain instances, this hijacker is distributed together with free programs.

How harmful is TheSafeSearch hijacker?

Besides its impracticality, TheSafeSearch hijacker is also fairly hazardous for web browser usage. It transforms your search engine to its particular – Thesafesearch.net, and likewise changes your background, adding its watermark on your background image (or, in some cases, changing it to default with the specified sign).

Besides visual transformations done by TheSafeSearch hijacker, you can see that some of your search inquiries are redirecting to the untrustworthy web pages, filled with links and advertisements – so-called doorway websites. Such sites can contain web links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting boosts if you try to open Google search page forcibly.

But all these actions are much more annoying than truly damaging. The most important risk, primarily for people who have a huge amount of secret information in their web browsers, is embedded in information collecting functions. Cookie files, chats, often-visited websites, and other activities are simply gathered by TheSafeSearch hijacker.