Hot Search Toolbar

Posted: June 4, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	90

First Seen:	July 24, 2009
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The Hot Search Toolbar is a PUP or Potentially Unwanted Program that is used to promote Hotsearch.com, a search site that currently appears to be nonoperational. Besides Hotsearch.com having a mildly unsavory history of its own, the toolbar that promotes it – the Hot Search Toolbar – also often is installed through misleading methods and will resist all of the expected uninstallation methods. SpywareRemove.com malware experts don't consider the Hot Search Toolbar a major danger to your PC, but do recommend avoiding any unprotected contact with links that are associated with the Hot Search Toolbar, and suggest using anti-malware products to remove the Hot Search Toolbar regularly whenever its presence is undesired.

The Hot Search Toolbar: Too Hot for Your Browser's Settings to Handle

The Hot Search Toolbar, affiliated with Hotsearch.com but often installed from completely disparate sources, exists to promote Hotsearch's supposed search engine-based functions, which SpywareRemove.com malware experts were unable to test in a suitably protected environment. However, what they were able to glean from the mutual history of the Hot Search Toolbar and Hotsearch.com points to disreputable business practices: Hotsearch.com is affiliated with a domain that's known to enable activities such as link-farming and domain-squatting, and also has been submitted to a limited number of blacklists as a result of misleading marketing habits.

When considered separately from the site the Hot Search Toolbar promotes, the Hot Search Toolbar also is more of a bother to your PC than a search assistant: the Hot Search Toolbar will change your default search settings without your consent and also may change your homepage, create pop-ups or insert advertisements into your search results. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers also noted a marked resistance of the Hot Search Toolbar to being removed by the same techniques that would delete any kind of benevolent browser add-on.

Settling Down the Sizzle of a Hot Search Toolbar Infection

As a PUP with very visible components, you should be able to detect the Hot Search Toolbar very soon after its installation. This installation usually is enabled during the installation process of an unrelated and, usually, free program from various commonly-compromised sites. Avoiding software from untrustworthy sources, being cautious about optional 'extras' during installation routines, and keeping your browser security settings at appropriate levels all will help to reduce the possibility of a Hot Search Toolbar infection.

To be certain of removing the Hot Search Toolbar from your computer, SpywareRemove.com malware experts suggest using anti-malware products with good reputations for handling adware, browser hijackers and other browser-based PC threats. Even though the removal of a Hot Search Toolbar shouldn't be thought of as an urgent security priority, the Hot Search Toolbar still should be considered seriously to keep untrustworthy software from having excessive control over your web-browsing content.

Hot Search Toolbar

Threat Metric

The Hot Search Toolbar: Too Hot for Your Browser's Settings to Handle

Settling Down the Sizzle of a Hot Search Toolbar Infection

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