Searches.network Removal Guide for Mac (Browser Hijacker)

Searches.network is a misleading website, similar to Safebrowsing.network which uses scare tactics to make users download a bogus apps like Cleanup My Mac. The page will say that the system is infected with a virus, which can be removed with the bogus application we already mentioned. Do not trust this site! No website can determine if your system is infected with a virus. The reason you see Searches.network on your browser is most likely the presence of a potentially unwanted application (PUA) on your Mac, or you probably visited a shady site.

PUAs, like Searches.network are often distributed via freeware and fake update messages. The user may think they are seeing a legitimate update pop-up, which urges them to install unreliable software on their Mac. That’s why you should get your updates from official and licensed sources only. Most commonly, unwanted software is able to infiltrate your device when you are not paying close attention when installing software on your computer. Malicious applications are often disguised as ‘additional’ in the installer. That’s why we highly suggest choosing the Custom or Advanced option in the Setup Wizard, so you have full control over the process. This way, you’ll be able to see the full installation list, and opt out of any additional installations.

Bogus applications such as Searches.network are known to make your browsing a hellish experience. The parasite will produce tonnes of annoying advertisements, which will interrupt whatever you’re trying to do online. No ad blocker will help you in such situations. What’s worse, the ads will be specifically targeted to attract your attention. This is possible because the PUA is programmed to spy on your online activities from the moment it gets installed on your Mac. This way, its creators will be able to obtain personal information like IP addresses, GPS coordinates, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. And that’s not all. With time, your browser will fail to work properly, since it won’t be able to keep up with the numerous adverts thrown its way. This could also affect your internet speed. You need to understand that ignoring the ads will not solve the issue. You can’t know for certain which ad is safe, so there’s a chance that you may infect your Mac with a dangerous virus with just one click. There is a way to prevent all this from happening. You just have to remove all traces of this parasite. If you want to regain control over your browser and protect your privacy, follow the instructions below to learn how to get rid of the Searches.network parasite.

Apart from having a reliable AV software installed on your Mac, there are other things you can do to ensure your device’s safety. We highly recommend you to:

• Pay close attention when you install third-party software, especially torrent files, so you don’t install shady additional applications that you don’t want. In most cases, that’s how malicious parasites are able to infect your computer;
  Read any Terms and Conditions you see, so you know exactly what you agree to. The last thing you want is to unknowingly give permission to a nasty virus to infiltrate your Mac;
• Follow links that lead to trustworthy sites only;
• It is best to visit only reliable and official websites. You never know what dangers might lurk behind an unfamiliar site;
  No matter how attractive an ad is, if you are not familiar with the website it redirects to, it might be best to steer clear of it and not click;
• Always check the sender’s email address before opening a message. If it states that it’s from an official company, compare the email with the one given in their official page. If there is no match, delete the message, since it most likely is fake and has malicious aims;
• Don’t open email attachments from unknown senders. More often than not, such files carry infections that can seriously damage your computer.

If you’ve had the misfortune of getting your Mac infected with the Searches.network PUA, the instructions below can help you to remove it manually. Also, bear in mind that the infected files may have a different name than the one associated with this PUA.

1. Go to Utilities. You can do that by using the ⇧+⌘+U key combination, or by going to Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go main menu at the top.

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it.

3. A list will be displayed. Find any processes that seem suspicious to you and use the ‘Force Quit‘ option to quit them completely.

4. Open Finder. Click on the Go button from the main menu at the top, and choose Applications. An alternative way is to use the ⇧+⌘+A key combination.

5. Look for any suspicious applications, especially ones with a name similar to CapitalProjectSearch. If any are found, right-click on them and select the ‘Move to Trash‘ option.

6. Remove any related left-over files by going to Finder‘s search bar and typing the name of the app you want to remove. Make sure to modify the two drop down menus above to ‘System Files‘ and ‘Are Included‘, so that any hidden files are visible for you to remove. Once you find the files you want to remove, simply drag them to Trash.

7. All that’s left for you to do is remove any related extensions to CapitalProjectSearch from your Mac browsers.

For Mozilla Firefox extensions:

• Open the Firefox browser and from the ‘burger’ menu in the top right corner of the window select ‘Add-ons’.
• Select any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and click ‘Remove’.

For Google Chrome extensions:

• Open the Chrome browser and select Tools > Extensions from the menu (the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window).
• Locate any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and remove them.

For Safari extensions:

• Open the Safari browser. From the Safari menu choose Preferences. Select Extensions from the options at the top.
• Find any extensions you think are related to the virus, select them and click ‘Uninstall’. A new window will show up asking for confirmation. Click Uninstall again, for the extension to get deleted permanently from your browser.