Web Browser Search or WebBrowserSearch.com

Posted: May 16, 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:	66

First Seen:	May 16, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Web Browser Search (or WebBrowserSearch.com) is a search site that sometimes is promoted through browser hijackers or the presence of its browser add-on, the Web Browser Search Toolbar. The Web Browser Search's browser plugin is not necessarily dangerous to your PC, but since it takes control of your web-browsing experience away from you and tracks your online browsing habits, malware analysts do, in most cases, suggest removing the Web Browser Search add-on from your browser. Since Web Browser Search software may continue to redirect you to the Web Browser Search site after an incomplete deletion, deleting Web Browser Search add-ons from your browsers can most easily be done by various anti-malware applications.

Web Browser Search: the Search that May Arrive without Any Questions Asked

Web Browser Search doesn't have any history of past association with PC threats, and the most unscrupulous behavior that SpywareRemove.com malware researchers have been able to confirm is Web Browser Search's display of some extra advertisements (for the most part, of prominent and reasonably safe websites) in its search results. This trivial shortcoming aside, Web Browser Search cannot be considered a danger to your computer, and its search services appear to provide appropriately relevant results.

These positive facts are, sadly, offset by the browser add-on that Web Browser Search's website uses to promote itself: the Web Browser Search Toolbar, which, by default, installs itself to most brands of browsers simultaneously. Web Browser Search's add-on changes your homepage and default search engine to Web Browser Search, and also will track which sites you visit along with the duration of these visits. Given this generally unhelpful behavior, SpywareRemove.com malware experts have no choice but to classify Web Browser Search's browser plugin as a PUP or Potentially Unwanted Program.

Getting the 'Web … Search' Away from Your Browser When It's Not Wanted

The Web Browser Search Toolbar may be installed without your permission, particularly in cases where you install freeware applications that have a history of installing browser-based 'extras.' Many (but not all) installation routines will allow you to opt out of plugins like Web Browser Search, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts advise you to stay vigilant while you're installing free software from sources of a potentially untrustworthy nature.

Web Browser Search's browser plugin does include standardized uninstallation options. However, making certain that all of Web Browser Search's browser changes are removed cleanly can be done most effectively by basic anti-malware products that are designed to remove adware, browser hijackers, PUPs and other low-level PC threats. This generally is the action SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend for any software linked to Web Browser Search, except in cases where you're certain that you want to avail yourself of Web Browser Search's services.

Web Browser Search or WebBrowserSearch.com

Threat Metric

Web Browser Search: the Search that May Arrive without Any Questions Asked

Getting the 'Web … Search' Away from Your Browser When It's Not Wanted

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