Search Secure is an internet browser extension for Google Chrome that is promoted as a free tool to help you browse the web safely. The developers of Search Secure claim that it can keep you protected from harmful online threats while browsing the web or shopping online.
While this may sound like a safe tool to use, you should be aware of some things that this browser extension does that may violate your privacy.
The Search Secure browser extension for Google Chrome has permission to read and change your data on all bing.com sites, all search.yahoo.com sites, and all searchsecureprime.co sites, read your browsing history, and change your search settings to: searchsecureprime.co.
Permission to read and change your data, read your browsing history, and change your search settings allows the Search Secure extension to observe and gather personally identifiable information (PII) about you and track what you do online. The information the extension obtains can then be shared with third parties or sold to third parties for unknown reasons.
The Search Secure extension changes the default search engine of your internet browser to searchsecureprime.co. This will cause what you search for online to redirect to searchsecureprime.co and then forward you to a search engine such as Bing or Yahoo. This is done in order to track what you search for online (there is no other reason to initially direct you to searchsecureprime.co) and show you advertisements and sponsored search results.
To make matters worse, the Search Secure extension is typically advertised by malicious advertising networks and on websites that host malware or contain advertisements that bolster malware and deceptive programs. This is a major security concern because it could mean that your computer was introduced to malware and other cybersecurity threats that should be removed immediately.
How to remove Search Secure
The instructions below will help you remove the Search Secure extension from Google Chrome and stop browser redirects to searchsecureprime.co and other websites.
1. Click the Customize and control Google Chrome icon (3 dot icon) and go to More tools > Extensions.
2. Click the Remove button next to the Search Secure extension.
3. Next, download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to scan your computer for malware and potentially unwanted programs.
4. To install Malwarebytes, double-click the executable file you just downloaded, or open the file from your browser window. The file can usually be found in the Downloads folder.
5. Choose if this is for home or work use and click Agree and Install to begin installing Malwarebytes. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.
6. When Malwarebytes is installed, launch the program and click the Scan Now button on the dashboard (or go to the Scan tab and click the Start Scan button).
7. When the scan been completed, click the Quarantine Selected button.
8. If Malwarebytes says “All selected items have been removed successfully. A log file has been saved to the logs folder. Your computer needs to be restarted to complete the removal process. Would you like to restart now?” click the Yes button to restart your computer.
9. Download HitmanPro to perform a second-opinion scan and remove any remaining malicious trace files. A second-opinion scan is important when removing malware and malicious files from your computer.
10. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Downloads folder.
11. Once HitmanPro is installed, open the program and click Next to start scanning your computer. *If you are using the free version you may choose to create a copy or perform a one-time scan.
12. When the HitmanPro scan is complete, click the Next button.
13. To activate the free version of HitmanPro: enter your email address twice and click the Activate button.
14. Click the Reboot button.
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