It seems that during the last couple of months the computer security community has started forgetting about browser hijackers, adware and similar PUPs. Nowadays, everyone is concerned about ransomware viruses and damage that they could cause for businesses and home users. Indeed, when Bitcoin value continues growing and, for the first time, exceeds the price of an ounce of gold, such concerns are understandable. People can hardly believe that someone could break into their computer, encrypt their files and start demanding the ransom. However, no matter how widespread ransomware is, we would like to remind you that the developers of potentially unwanted programs didn’t go anywhere. At the moment, these are several hijackers that are actively spreading around bundled with free software, so make sure you don’t run into one of them.
The first virus you should beware of is called Startpageing123.com. This virus belongs to Yandex, so there is no surprise why it has been so persistent during the last couple of weeks. The hijacker was launched this year and has already shown up in such countries as Germany, Poland, Netherlands and the United States. The second PUP you should stay away from is known as Motious.com virus. According to the main page of this search engine, its search results are based on Google custom search. However, after entering the search term into the search bar, it becomes clear that the most of the results are filled with sponsored content. The site provides tech-related ads and links in its search results that can easily be used to redirect victims to questionable websites. Finally, we should warn you about Russian search sites, such as Nova-Rambler.ru. Just like previously mentioned one, they take over people’s browsers and start providing sponsored search results. If you got infected, keep in mind that each virus has its elimination way and only the full system scan with the anti-spyware program could help you avoid problems related to their removal.
