Defense-Search Newtab is a browser hijacker that belongs to a group of potentially unwanted program (PUP). It aims to alter browser settings and select its malicious web link as the new default. The home page, new tab window, and the search engine will change into the hijacker page. Defense-Search Newtab will extremely affect the normal functions of web browsers. The main goal of browser hijackers like Defense-Search Newtab is to inject ads and pop-ups on the browsers for income generation purposes. Apart from that, Defense-Search Newtab also attempts to steal valuable information from the browser.
The Defense-search.xyz hijacker
Malware researchers considered this threat as a browser hijacker. It is promoting an unwanted search Defense-search.xyz. Therefore, this will be the default homepage and search provider. That being said, all online search inquiries of web users are diverted to Defense-search.xyz website.
Effects of Defense-Search Newtab
Like in the case of Search-Guard Newtab and Browsing-Shield Newtab, the browser will misbehave once Defense-Search Newtab enters internet software like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. The browser will start to exhibit various kinds of advertisements and unwanted pop-ups. Continuous display of such ads can interrupt the browsing activity of online users. Besides, Defense-Search Newtab can also cause a sudden redirection to websites that computer users do not intend to view. Clicking the pop-ups generated by Defense-Search Newtab is usually the reason for browser redirection. Web users should not access any clickable elements on a hijacked browser. It might lead to intrusions of other malicious programs or any sorts of malware on the computer.
Defense-Search Newtab can track important data saved on the browser. Defense-Search Newtab will spy the browser to locate all the potentially valuable information. The browser-related details such as the user’s IP address, geographical location, search histories, visited websites, clicked ads, and other relevant data can be at risk. The most serious part is, Defense-Search Newtab can even trace the personal details about web users. Such data might include the user’s full name, contact numbers, emails and passwords, online transaction, or even bank credentials. This invasive behavior of Defense-Search Newtab could lead to privacy issues.
Defense-Search Newtab installation scheme
Defense-Search Newtab can penetrate the computers even without permission from computer users. Keep in mind that this PUP can install itself on the computer along with free software that user may download from questionable online sources. Some freeware integrates Defense-Search Newtab or relevant adware on the installation process. Therefore, it is very important to check the downloaded programs before proceeding with the installation.
Defense-Search Newtab Removal Procedure
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised Windows computer. Aside from removing the malicious browser extension, this guide is also helpful in deleting browser hijacker and pop-ups.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Quick Fix - Scan the PC with Combo Cleaner for Windows
Combo Cleaner is a trusted PC security and optimization tool equipped with powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of browser hijacker like Defense-Search Newtab through this procedure.
1. Download the application from the following page:
2. Save the file to your preferred location.
3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.
4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.
5. The tool will update the signature file, please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like Defense-Search Newtab, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.
7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete Defense-Search Newtab hijacker including all malicious objects from the computer.
Free features of Combo Cleaner for Windows includes Disk Cleaner, Big Files finder, Duplicate files finder, and Uninstaller. To use antivirus, privacy scanner, and to delete identified threats, users have to upgrade to a premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if your are comfortable to manually get rid of the threat and malicious items linked with it.
Step 1 : Delete Defense-Search Newtab Browser Extension
Most adware and unwanted programs are using a program called browser extension to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend to check and remove the extension that is closely related to Defense-Search Newtab.
Remove Defense-Search Newtab Extension from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Find Defense-Search Newtab or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome browser.
Uninstall Defense-Search Newtab Extension from Mozilla Firefox
1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type about:addons in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Choose Extensions on sidebar menu.
4. Look for object that is pertaining to Defense-Search Newtab and remove it from the browser.
After deleting the malicious browser extension, it is expected that Defense-Search Newtab is also gone from the homepage.
Remove Defense-Search Newtab Add-ons from Internet Explorer and Edge Browser
1. Open Internet Explorer program.
2. Go to top Menu and click Tools. Then, select Manage Add-ons from the drop-down list.
3. Look for and Remove or Disable entries of Defense-Search Newtab from Toolbars and Extension. Additionally, delete unwanted entry from Search Providers section.
4. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
If Defense-Search Newtab is still present on the IE browser and there are still unwanted homepage and pop-ups, another option is to remove the adware from Windows Control Panel.
5. Press Windows Key + R and then, type appwiz.cpl command.
6. Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in chronological manner with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on 'Installed On' column.
7. Select Defense-Search Newtab or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
Step 2 : Scan the computer with Sophos Antivirus
To remove Defense-Search Newtab automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful anti-virus tool is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware, it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker like Defense-Search Newtab that slows down online browsing activities.
1. Download Sophos Virus Removal Tool from the link below. Save the file on your computer where you can easily access it.
2. Once the download completes, browse the location of the file. Double-click to run the program and begin the install process.
3. On first windows of installation wizard, click Next to continue. Then, it will display the program’s License Agreement. You need to Accept the terms in order to proceed. If Windows prompts for User Account Control, please click Yes to proceed.
4. On succeeding windows, click Next or Continue to carry on with the installation. After completing the installation process, Launch Sophos Virus Removal Tool.
5. Internet connection is required when running this scanner in order to download important updates. Make sure that everything is up-to-date to effectively remove malicious program like Defense-Search Newtab.
6. Click the button to carry out the Scan. This will check the system for presence of malicious objects, malware, and viruses. The tool reveals items that were found linked to Defense-Search Newtab and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated the Defense-Search Newtab browser hijacker. However, if you found that there are still remnants of the threat, please proceed to manual removal of associated objects as outlined below.
Step 3 : Scan and Delete Adware with AdwCleaner
In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Defense-Search Newtab on the browser that was not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications as well as invalid browser entries that produces hijacking, redirects, and pop-ups.
1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.
2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer especially browsers affected by Defense-Search Newtab.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner_Ver.exe to start running the tool. Then, click on Scan button.
4. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated to Defense-Search Newtab. It will also check for suspicious entries on browser settings that is associated with the hijacker.
5. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
6. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of detected threats.
Check if your internet browser application is no longer being bothered by Defense-Search Newtab. If the browser hijacker still persists, please continue with the steps below to reset internet programs to default settings.
Optional : Reset Internet Browser Program
Cleaning your internet browser from clutter and unwanted add-on/extension is a must when dealing with Defense-Search Newtab. The procedure below discuss on resetting various browsers to its default state.
Restore Google Chrome to Default Settings
Resetting Google Chrome to default settings is helpful in deleting hard-to-remove extension such as from Defense-Search Newtab. This method is highly advisable to perform if you have difficulty in removing unwanted extension.
1. Open Google Chrome Internet browser.
2. On the address bar, type chrome://settings/reset and press Enter key.
3. Under Reset and clean up section, choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Click Reset settings button to clear all entries of Defense-Search Newtab.
5. Close the existing tab and restart Google Chrome. That should have removed Defense-Search Newtab extension and associated objects.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
This section describes how to remove unwanted extension from Firefox that may be related to Defense-Search Newtab. This process can fix many browser issues by restoring Firefox to factory settings without affecting your essential information (bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies) on the browser. If you desire to remove only specific extension, please see manual removal of add-on from Firefox.
1. Input the string about:support on Firefox web address and press Enter on keyboard.
2. You will now see the Troubleshooting Information page of Mozilla Firefox.
3. You will notice a section on upper-right corner of the screen stating Give Firefox a tune up. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
4. If confirmation window appears, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
5. Firefox browser will close and start the resetting process. When done, it will display a list of restored data. Defense-Search Newtab should be gone by now. Click Finish to open a fresh version of Firefox.
Restore Internet Explorer to Default Settings
1. Open Internet Explorer and navigate to top menu. Click Tools, and then Internet Options.
2. Select Advanced tab on Internet Options window.
3. On lower part of the window, under Reset Internet Explorer Settings area, click the Reset button. Please see image for reference.
Your data like favorites, bookmark, and history will remain in the browser. However, this process may delete add-ons by Defense-Search Newtab and other unknown objects. If you prefer to carry out the procedure manually, please add-on removal from Internet Explorer.
