How can I prevent hijacked homepages?
 

A browser hijacker is defined as malicious software that repeatedly resets your browser homepage, redirects your search results, adds unknown toolbars and causes your browsers to act sluggish when you are online. The level of infection usually depends on the specific type of problem that hits the system. There are times when this would cause minor annoyances but there are also incidents where it will greatly affect your efficiency at work. We have listed a few tips below that can stop a hijacking that is already happening on your system or may help you prevent the issue from happening in the future.

1. Make sure that your anti-virus software is running at all times, especially when you always connect to the Internet. There are anti-virus programs available that can alert you whenever there are changes happening in the registry.

2. As soon as you suspect a browser hijacking, close your browser right away and perform a scan on your system.

3. Respond quickly to any warnings or alerts from resident scanners to block changes or delete infections on your system.

4. Install an anti-malware protection and anti-virus program on your PC.

5. Avoid opening links from instant messengers, emails or Web sites unless you are sure about the identity of the source. This is normally present in pop-up advertisements that claim your system is infected by a virus or spy ware. Never click to fix the “infection” if it did not come from a trusted program.

I also would suggest:

1. Manage the browser using the add-on or application manager - Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera let you manage the add-ons of your browser. You can use the add-on manager to update, remove or view who owns the add-ons. This allows you to determine if the add-on is needed and legitimate.

2. Protected Mode – Internet Explorer in Vista includes Protected Mode feature and it is enabled by default. Take advantage of this feature to restrict changes on system and browser.

3. Privacy matters – Browser keeps our private information (password, username, credit card etc). Most browser has options to deal with this information prevent identity theft, targeted advertising and fraud.

4. Reset Tools - Firefox includes Safe Mode feature. While this feature of Firefox is built to troubleshoot, a user can use it also to get rid of the bad or rogue browser add-ons and by resetting the browser to its default state. Internet Explorer offer also this feature by providing a reset and restore options.

5. Content Controls – Not all information in a page is safe to view. Opera, Internet Explorer and Firefox allow you to control the content of any webpage. Example: blocking the pop-ups, images, javascript, activex etc.

6. Anti-Fraud and Anti-Malware – Firefox offers Web ID, anti-malware and anti-fraud protections, Internet Explorer offers anti-phishing while Opera offers anti-malware and anti-fraud protections. Enable these options to avoid visiting sites that will infect your computer and steal information.

7. Certificate settings – Before making any transactions using these powerful browsers, you should ensure to identify the certificate and that it is verified.