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Danger level 7
Type: Browser Hijackers
Common infection symptoms:
  • Hijacks homepage
  • Changes default search engine

Search.myprivacyswitch.com

Search.myprivacyswitch.com is a questionable search engine that may show up in your Google Chrome browser after installing a browser extension. But this tool can also appear in your browser under questionable conditions. Our research indicates that this search engine does not even function properly yet and may not display usable search results. But, at the same time, it could expose you to potentially unreliable third-party content, which could pose a threat to your virtual security. Since this search engine may come on board along with other malicious software installers, we believe that your computer could be under attack on several fronts. This is why we suggest that you remove Search.myprivacyswitch.com as soon as possible and detect all other potentially harmful programs as well to see what you are dealing with. Unless, of course, you want to wait till these infections bring more threats to your system that might collapse one day under this pressure. Please read on to find out how you can defend your PC from such attacks.

It would probably be hard to find anyone who has never been infected with search engines or browser hijackers. In fact, it is quite easy to do so because one click could be enough. If this click of your mouse takes place over an unsafe third-party content, such as a banner or pop-up ad, a hyperlinked text, a fake button, and so on, you may directly get redirected to this risky search engine. However, the worse case is when you drop a whole bundle of malware threats onto your machine that may contain adware programs, browser hijackers, fake alerts, Trojans, and more on top of Search.myprivacyswitch.com. This is exactly why we keep emphasizing the importance of avoiding questionable websites (torrent, freeware, and gaming pages) and clicking on random third-party ads. It is also important that your computer be completely clean of malware threats, such as adware programs, which can spy on you and display customized unreliable ads on your screen.

When you land on an unfamiliar website after a web search, for example, you may not realize where you definitely should not click even accidentally. It is also vital to know that there could be malicious pages that you just need to load in your browser and they could infect you right away without your engagement with the page or its contents. However, a lot of times users may click on fake buttons, or even invisible contents that can drop a bundle of malicious software installers onto your computer. New tabs and new windows may also pop-up with further malicious content, which is rather annoying but also quite risky. If you have infected your system by installing a bundle, you should be persistent to get to the bottom of this because it is not enough for you to delete Search.myprivacyswitch.com alone. We also recommend that you use a reliable online malware scanner to identify all other possible threat sources.

In all fairness, we need to mention the official webpage that promotes this browser extension, which you can find at myprivacyswitch.com, and the Chrome web store page at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/privacy-switch/dmboiophmffekonapnhcibkemihcehgm. It appears that more than 10 thousand users have installed this questionable search engine so far. But we do not believe that this is the main distribution channel; it is more likely that you install this threat via a freeware bundle we explained above.

This browser extension claims to provide you with a privacy switch that can "hide" you from third parties, their cookies and tracking. But there is no sign of this supposed switch on the main page. Here, you see a totally normal and authentic looking search engine with a search box and several thumbnail links below it that lead to popular websites, including Facebook, Gmail, Amazon, and Yahoo. These links seem to work just fine but knowing that this extension may spy on you and gather data about your browsing habits, it is also possible that it is capable of injecting advertisements of its affiliates into these pages. When you actually run a web search through this search engine, you will find yourself on a results page that may show you third-party ads and links but right now it seems to fail to display proper results. However, a link appears in the top-right corner that looks like a switch: "SafeSearch: On." By clicking on this link you can supposedly switch between safe and unsecured search. In any case, we believe that it would be a mistake to engage with any content this search engine offers you because you could end up on malicious websites or directly drop an infection onto your system. If you do not want to experience an online scam and possibly lose money, we suggest that you remove Search.myprivacyswitch.com right now.

Probably the only good thing about this annoying search engine is that it is very easy to eliminate it. Locate the extension called "Privacy Switch" and remove it from your browser settings. If you need help with this, please use our instructions below. Since this search engine could be the least dangerous malware infection on board, we suggest that you use a trustworthy anti-malware program to automatically detect all other threats and erase them before it is too late. It is better to give your PC the protection it deserves than to fail again and find yourself deeper and deeper in a malware warfare.

How to remove Search.myprivacyswitch.com from your browser

Google Chrome

  1. Launch your browser.
  2. Press Alt+F to bring up the menu.
  3. Choose Settings.
  4. In the left menu, click on Extensions.
  5. Locate the malicious extension called Privacy Switch and click on the trash can icon.
  6. Press Remove in the pop-up.
  7. Restart your browser.
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