Understanding bing.com Redirect Virus

Another malicious member is recently discovered in the family of browser hijacker. Developers call it as bing.com virus! Before proceeding, let us make it clear that, bing redirect is not really a virus! It does not possess any characteristics of ‘viruses. Neither it replicates itself in the system nor does it create copy on the network server! However, Bing.com is a malicious form of malwares, which are commonly known as PUP – Potential Unwanted Programs.

Specifically, ‘Bing.com Virus’ is a browser hijacker! Once in the system, it will attack the most commonly found browsers – Google Chrome, Safari or Mozialla Firefox. Furthermore, it modifies the browser settings and changes your web homepage and search provider. These alterations are just the beginning! It can also track and collect your information such as IP Address, sites visited, web searches or cookies. Later, these could be used for monetary purposes by cyber criminals. Keep in mind, the notorious bing.com targeted Mac operating system.

This article will provide you insights of the menace caused by malicious bing.com redirect.

 

 

Threat Summary

Name	Bing Redirect Virus
Type	Browser Hijacker
Category	Malware
Targeted OS	iOS
Targeted Browser	Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari
Damage	Infected browser redirects your searches to a possibly dangerous website. Additionally, it might be the cause for your data theft.
Removal	Download Removal Tool

Distribution Technique

First of all, if your Mac is infected with bing redirect, ask yourself – if you have installed any application recently, especially from a third party websites? If so, there begins the threat! According to tech experts, bundling is the most used and effective method to distribute the malicious bing browser hijacker. It enters silently in your ma machine and executes its mal activities.

bing.com virus bundles itself with other applications and installs simultaneously. It might or might not seek your permission in between the installation process. Hackers, deliver bing.com redirect together with other software, which you download from third-party sites. Wickedly, the developers hide malicious macros in the custom/advances installation process. And, with the tendency to rush these steps, you usually expose your system to the risk of browser hijacker attacks. Apart from this, it tracks your download history and raises the malicious payload on your system. To avoid this infiltration, be careful while installing/downloading any application.

In addition to software bundling, introducing rogue components is another deceptive method! These are injected in questionable hyperlinks or pop-up advertisements. These are designed to ultimately redirect browser results to malicious sites.

Cautious: Beware while downloading any application and never rush through the installation steps.

Threat behavior

Once this search hijacker sneaks in your system, it will immediately attack the browsers most commonly found on any Mac.

After successful infiltration, it changes your default search engine, start page and new Tab URL. Your existing home webpage will be redirected to Bing Search.  As a result, your system will fetch the search results from search bing webpage.

Though it is a matter of concern, yet some users tend to ignore such modifications. It is because of their careless behavior and sometimes, lack of knowledge! If the victim user continues to use the infected browser, it may unexpectedly modify your system settings as well. In addition, this browser hijacker steals your personal or non-personal information and might leak it to third-party i.e. hackers.

Hence, we advise you to immediately remove bing.com redirect (Mac) from your Mac. Download browser hijacker removal tool in your system now! Furthermore, it can be the reason behind your data or identity theft! However, before proceeding to bing Virus removal guidelines, ensure whether you have already been the victim of bing.com virus or not. To ensure, launch any of the following browser – Google Chrome, Safari or Mozialla Firefox and search a query. If your results are redirect to bing, you have your answer!

Privacy Policies

As stated in privacy statement of bing redirect virus Mac safari, it collects your personal information from you. This browser hijacker gathers certain information directly from you and some by your use, interaction and experience. Here, personal data means, the data which reveals your identity! The hackers might or might not ask you before fetching your personal data. However, providing data is not mandatory at every step. There are certain steps where you can avoid sharing your personal data.

At the end, apart from the below possible removal steps, we advise you to install bing.com redirect removal tool in your system ASAP.

Removal guidelines for bing.com Redirect Virus

STEP A: Remove bing.com Extension from Mac

1. Open on ‘Finder’ option on Mac.

2. In the Finder window, click on ‘Applications’ tab.

3. Once the list of applications is displayed on your screen, find and delete bing.com Virus from your Mac. In order to delete the suspicious app, right click the icon and select ‘Move to Trash’ option.

4. As soon as the malicious file is moved to trash, right click the trash icon and select ‘Empty Trash’ option to completely remove ‘bing.com Virus’ from your Mac.

STEP B: Remove malicious extension from your Browser

• Safari:

1. Open Safari Browser and click on ‘Preferences’ option.

2. Check the extension in the ‘Homepage’ section. Change it to your default webpage URL.

3. Now go to the ‘Extensions’ tab. Check and change the webpage URL in the ‘Homepage’ section.

• Google Chrome

1. Click on the three dots at the upper right corner and go to ‘Settings’ menu.

2. Locate ‘Advanced’ at the bottom of the page and click on it.

3. Once open, click on ‘Reset Settings’ option and select ‘Reset Settings to their Original Default’ option.

4. Click ‘Reset’ on the pop-up window to confirm the modifications.

• Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Firefox window and go to ‘Help’ Menu.

2. Click on ‘Troubleshooting Information’ from the drop down options.

3. Now click on ‘Refresh Firefox’ button at the right corner.

4. To confirm the modifications, again click on ‘Refresh Firefox’ that displays on the pop-up window.

5. Select ‘Restore all windows & tabs’ and click on ‘Let’s go!’ button.

Tips to prevent your system from bing.com Redirect Virus

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like Bull Guard, Vipre and Hitman Pro so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.

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