Searchitnow.info Redirect (Mac)

What is searchitnow.info?

searchitnow.info (goto-searchitnow.global.ssl.fastly.net) is a fake search engine that falsely claims to generate improved results and, therefore, enhances the browsing experience. Its appearance barely differs from legitimate Internet search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and so on.

Therefore, many users believe that this site is also legitimate and useful, however, developers promote it using rogue downloaders/installers that modify browser options without consent. In addition, searchitnow.info continually tracks browsing activity by gathering sensitive information.

Rogue set-ups infiltrate Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome, assigning goto-searchitnow.global.ssl.fastly.net (which redirects users to searchitnow.info) as the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options.

Furthermore, these set-ups install a number of "helper objects" - third party applications and browser plug-ins (at time of research, one of these distributed extensions was Mac Protector). Therefore, users are unable to revert browser settings. "Helper objects" continue the work of set-ups - they reassign browser settings when attempts are made to change them.

Therefore, as long as "helper objects" are installed, returning browsers to their previous states is impossible and users are forced to visit searchitnow.info when they open a new browser tab or search via the URL bar. This significantly diminishes the web browsing experience.

As mentioned above, searchitnow.info (and "helper objects") record information relating to browsing activity. The information typically includes personal details that developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). These people misuse private information to generate revenue.

Therefore, information tracking can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you encounter redirects to searchitnow.info, immediately eliminate all dubious applications/browser plug-ins (such as Mac Protector) and never return to this website.

Threat Summary:

Name	Mac Protector browser hijacker
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

searchitnow.info shares many similarities with dozens of other fake web search engines, such as smartsearch.pw, search.opengross.com, search-mate.com, and g-search.pro As with searchitnow.info, these sites also promise to enhance the browsing experience, but their only purpose is to generate revenue for the developers.

By delivering fake promises to generate improved results and provide other "useful features" (quick access to popular websites, weather forecasts, currency exchange rates, etc.), fake search engines attempt to give the impression of legitimacy. They deliver no real value for regular users, cause unwanted redirects, and gather sensitive information.

Some are also designed to generate fake results and intrusive advertisements (leading to untrustworthy sites). Therefore, using any fake web search engine might lead to system infections.

How did searchitnow.info install on my computer?

searchitnow.info is promoted using deceptive download/installation set-ups. This marketing method is called "bundling". Developers are aware that many users rush download/installation processes and skip steps.

Therefore, all information regarding modification of browser settings is hidden within "Custom/Advanced" options (or other sections) of the download/installation processes. By rushing and skipping steps, many users inadvertently grant set-ups permission to modify options, expose their systems to risk of various infections, and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are also distributed using the "bundling" method and intrusive advertisements (which lead to malicious websites and execute scripts that stealthily download and install malware). Therefore, to prevent PUP infiltration, be very cautious when downloading/installing software and browsing the Internet in general.

Ensure that you carefully analyze each step of the download/installation processes and opt-out of all third party applications. Software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers are monetized by "bundling" PUPs, and thus using them is not recommended.

Developers invest time and resources into intrusive ad design, thereby making them seem legitimate. Once clicked, however, they redirect to dubious websites (gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on). Most are delivered by adware-type programs.

Therefore, if you encounter dubious redirects, check the list of installed apps/add-ons and eliminate any suspicious entries. The key to computer safety is caution. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Fake Adobe Flash Player installer promoting SearchItNow (searchitnow.info) browser hijacker:

Deceptive website promoting this fake Adobe Flash Player installer:

Screenshot of a Mac Protector helper object extension in Safari web browser:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is searchitnow.info?
• STEP 1. Remove searchitnow.info related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove searchitnow.info redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove searchitnow.info browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove searchitnow.info homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

searchitnow.info redirect removal:

Remove searchitnow.info-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “MPlayerX”,“NicePlayer”, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove browser hijacker-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

Change your homepage:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.

Change your default search engine:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

▼ Show Discussion