SecureDossier – What is it and how to remove it? (Virus Removal)
SecureDossier by 6Loop Limited is a system cleaner and optimizer compatible with computers running Windows operating systems. Like other system optimizers for Windows, SecureDossier has a bad online reputation and is detected by multiple Antivirus engines as adware, a trojan, and potentially unwanted program (PUP).
Microsoft doesn’t like it
Microsoft does not approve of system optimizers such as this program and publicly states that they can be harmful to your machine. Using a system optimizer that promises to boost your performance and fix your registry can actually remove important files and change settings that keep your computer running smoothly.
Utilizes deceptive marketing tactics
SecureDossier is often promoted as something it is not in order to trick users to download and install it. For example, we found that SecureDossier was being advertised as a media player called FirePlayer. When we tried to manually download the executable file for FirePlayer we were actually tricked into downloading a file called SDOSetup.exe which is the executable file used to install SecureDossier.
Furthermore, Google Chrome blocked us from downloading SDOSetup.exe and stated that “this type of file can harm your computer.” We were able to bypass this restriction by choosing to keep the file as opposed to discarding it.
Misleading scans
SecureDossier employs the use of misleading system scans and diagnostics to cause fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) and obtain customers and regular users.
SecureDossier scans your computer for cookies, browser history, startup items, installed programs, duplicate files, and items in the trash. When the scan is complete, SecureDossier will show results that suggest the programs you have installed on your computer and files you have saved on your computer are issues. The action to fix these issues is to uninstall the programs or remove the files; However, the SecureDossier program was unable to remove files at our request.
This is a concern because files on your computer do not impact the performance of your computer and the programs you have installed on your machine are not essentially considered “issues.”
It’s malware
According to VirusTotal, SecureDossier is recognized as malware by reputable security programs including DrWeb who detects the program as Trojan.Siggen7.59319 and Webroot who detects the program as W32.Adware.Gen.
Programs that utilize deceptive marketing tactics and misleading scans are often recognized as malicious. So it’s no surprise here that SecureDossier is recognized as malware by multiple Antivirus engines.
How to remove SecureDossier
1. Right-click the Start Menu and go to Apps and Features.
2. Find SecureDossier in the list of installed programs, click it with your mouse, and click the Uninstall button. This will uninstall the program, but it won’t actually be removed from your computer.
3. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to scan your computer and remove malicious files and potentially unwanted programs.
4. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Download 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. Once Malwarebytes is installed, open 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 is complete 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 Download 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.
How to protect your computer
Once you have uninstalled SecureDossier and scanned your computer for malware with Malwarebytes and HitmanPro, consider these best practices to ensure that your computer is protected from future threats.
Use Antivirus with real-time protection
Antivirus program with real-time protection can stop emerging threats and hackers from gaining access to your computer or mobile device. Antivirus programs can remove malicious files that are already on your computer, prevent your programs from being used against you, protect you from malicious websites, and stop known and unknown ransomware attacks.
Recommendations:
- Malwarebytes (Malwarebytes is an Antimalware program that can be used alongside Antivirus programs)
- Norton Security Deluxe
- AVG Internet Security Unlimited
Use a VPN
A VPN creates a private tunnel to keep the eyes of eavesdroppers and hackers away from your private data while you browse the web. With a VPN, you become anonymous and no one can determine who you are. Your data is encrypted and your web activity cannot be tracked.
Recommendations:
Ignore email messages from people you don’t recognize
Ignore email messages from people you do not recognize or are not expecting a message from to avoid malware from spreading onto your computer or mobile device. Email messages often contain malicious links and attachments that can be harmful to your computer. In fact, email spam is one of the most common ways that malware is spread.
We hope you found this guide to remove SecureDossier and other threats from your comptuer useful. If you liked this post, make sure to share it! If you still need help feel free to leave a comment or create a topic in our Cybersecurity forum.
