BrowsingGuard(.)com is the domain of a supposed security software for browsing. The strange thing is that BrowsingGuard cannot be downloaded directly from the site. There are advertisements that the platform spreads if you have it installed and thus considered adware. You can be redirected. To remove all advertisements related to this adware, you should read the whole article.
Threat Summary
| Name | BrowsingGuard(.)com |
| Type | Adware, PUP |
| Short Description | The site generates advertisements on various websites. |
| Symptoms | You can see advertisements all over your browsers, such as pop-ups or banners about the BrowsingGuard software or site. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundle Packages, Direct Download |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss BrowsingGuard(.)com. |
BrowsingGuard(.)com – Distribution
BrowsingGuard(.)com can be distributed in different ways. At one time the direct download buttons on the official website should have worked. The software could be spread with third-party installations. Without your awareness, the adware can be injected to your PC with those third-party installations, whether they are freeware or bundled. Install setups could be set to add extra components along with the software they advertised to install. Avoiding any unwanted program from installing is manageable if you find Custom or Advanced settings inside the setup. In there you can deselect.
BrowsingGuard(.)com can also be distributed with various advertisements displayed in websites. Banners, pop-up and pop-under ads can be used for redirection to the platform. If you visit websites with an unknown origin or suspicious ones, you could see that this could be another distribution method for this adware. Redirects could be hosted on those sites as well. Browsers that could be affected are the following: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.
BrowsingGuard(.)com – Detailed Information
BrowsingGuard(.)com is the official website page for a supposed software for browser security, namely – BrowsingGuard. The page has banners and buttons for direct downloads of that software. They do not do anything when you click on them. Advertisements and redirects can show up when browsing if you have any application associated to BrowsingGuard. The program is considered adware. Below in the picture you can view how the main page of the BrowsingGuard(.)com website looks:
If your computer has any software related to BrowsingGuard(.)com, you could be a witness to a lot of online advertising content. That is also true if you have plug-ins, extensions or add-ons nested in your browsers, which are tied to the adware. You could get redirected to many different websites, too.
Adverts can have one of the following texts inside:
- Ads by BrowsingGuard(.)com
- Advertisement by BrowsingGuard(.)com
- Ad by BrowsingGuard(.)com
- Advert from BrowsingGuard(.)com
- Powered by BrowsingGuard(.)com
- Brought to you by BrowsingGuard(.)com
Links and adverts that redirect, which are connected to the BrowsingGuard service might be placed on websites to generate Web traffic. The traffic could make revenue for the adware platform on a pay-per-click basis.
The adverts that are displayed can vary in shape and form as other sites which are ad networks are involved with this adware. Advertisements associated with BrowsingGuard(.)com can show as pop-ups, in-text links, pop-unders, banners, and even interstitial ads. Other kinds of advertisements are not excluded from appearing, too.
BrowsingGuard(.)com – Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy of BrowsingGuard(.)com is quite short, but gives some insight about information collection and the invasion of your privacy by the platform. In the policy, claims about how your privacy is valued exist but are supported by a statement that third party ad networks may collect information about you and all of their policies apply as well. You can see that from the following excerpt from the policy here:
Other Third Party ad servers or ad networks may also use cookies to track users activities on this website to measure advertisement effectiveness and other reasons that will be provided in their own privacy policies, this site has no access or control over these cookies that may be used by third party advertisers.
You can see a picture of the Privacy Policy below:
The policy gives little detail about what exactly is collected:
- Your IP address
- Date of access
- Time of access
- Other, personal information
Personally identifiable information is collected, including your IP address. The remainder of the collected information is not mentioned in this policy, but it is almost certain ad networks using cookies on this website collect a lot more than that. Be careful when using this site, program, services or anything related, as the adware might push other things than ads and redirects.
Remove BrowsingGuard(.)com Effectively from Your PC
To remove BrowsingGuard(.)com manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal tutorial provided below. In case this manual removal does not get rid of the ads completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such software can keep your computer secure in the future.
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove BrowsingGuard(.)com from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for BrowsingGuard(.)com with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall BrowsingGuard(.)com and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by BrowsingGuard(.)com on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by BrowsingGuard(.)com there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for BrowsingGuard(.)com (Windows).
Get rid of BrowsingGuard(.)com from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall BrowsingGuard(.)com and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to BrowsingGuard(.)com. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove BrowsingGuard(.)com via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove BrowsingGuard(.)com files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as BrowsingGuard(.)com, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for BrowsingGuard(.)com (Mac)
Remove BrowsingGuard(.)com from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase BrowsingGuard(.)com from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall BrowsingGuard(.)com from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove BrowsingGuard(.)com from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the BrowsingGuard(.)com will be removed.
Eliminate BrowsingGuard(.)com from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
BrowsingGuard(.)com-FAQ
What Is BrowsingGuard(.)com?
The BrowsingGuard(.)com threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of BrowsingGuard(.)com?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like BrowsingGuard(.)com?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does BrowsingGuard(.)com Work?
Once installed, BrowsingGuard(.)com can collect data about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. This data is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
BrowsingGuard(.)com can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is BrowsingGuard(.)com Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the BrowsingGuard(.)com Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this BrowsingGuard(.)com how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on BrowsingGuard(.)com?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the BrowsingGuard(.)com threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.