can go to installed programs of your system and remove the unwanted and suspicious ones. In many cases, it works.

However, some browser hijackers may infect your computer badly and can be difficult to remove. In that case, you should restart your computer in safe mode and run a full scan of your computer with anti-malware programs.

You may also look for any specific reputed anti-malware program that can effectively remove the particular browser hijacker that has infected your computer. Please make sure you install anti-malware programs only from trusted sources.

And prevention is always better than cure. So, please follow the necessary prevention steps after removing the browser hijacker so that your computer does not get infected next time.

How to prevent browser hijackers?

Browser hijackers can be prevented in the following ways:

• Configure your browser for the highest security. There are certain settings available in almost all modern browsers that can improve the security of the browser. There are also some extensions and plugins available that can prevent malware like browser hijackers up to a great extent. You can learn more about them in the following article: How to improve the security and privacy of the browser?
• Install software only from trusted sources.
• It is always good to read the end-user agreement before installing software and look carefully at the installation steps to see whether any unwanted or suspicious additional programs are being installed.
• Keep your browser updated with the latest security patches. These browser hijackers almost always take advantage of security vulnerabilities present in your browser to infect your computer. And every browser update contains some security fixes. So, the more updated a browser is, the less are its security vulnerabilities and the more secure it is.
• Keep your operating system updated with the latest security patches for the same reason.
• Enable 2-factor authentication wherever it is possible. If you enable 2-factor authentication, it will make it very difficult for attackers to access your account even if they manage to get your password. You can get more information on what is 2-factor-authentication here: What is 2-factor authentication, and how does it improve security?
• Use anti-malware programs from trusted sources and keep them updated all the time.
• Configure the firewall (What is a firewall and why should we always enable it?) in your computer properly. It is a good practice to allow only necessary programs to access the Internet. Also, it is good to restrict unnecessary communications between systems in your local network. If malware infects a computer in your local network by any chance, it should not be able to propagate to other systems in the local network so easily.
• You may also want to install an Intrusion Detection System or IDS (What is an Intrusion Detection System ?) on your computer. An IDS can monitor important files in your computer to look for unauthorized changes that may indicate malware. There are also certain IDS like OSSEC that are open source and free to use. You can get more information on how to install OSSEC IDS on your computer here: How to install OSSEC IDS?
• Do not install any plugin or extension in your browser if you are not very sure about its trustworthiness.

So, beware of browser hijackers. Think twice before installing software from dubious sources. Be careful while selecting the add-ons while installing software. Update your computer with anti-malware programs. And stay safe and secure.

This was an introductory article on browser hijackers. Interested readers can find more information on various malware and cyberattacks in the book “A Guide To Cyber Security.”