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Znoo.net

Posted: October 22, 2013

Znoo.net is a homepage domain promoted by the Znoo browser add-on, a Turkish-oriented Web product that modifies your browser's homepage settings and also may modify various desktop shortcuts without your consent. While Znoo.net doesn't promote any suspicious content other than providing links to a few Potentially Unwanted Programs, malware experts recommend removing any software such as Znoo that redirect your browser or make other unnecessary restrictions to your Web-browsing behavior. Deleting Znoo.net-related software is preferably done through the use of anti-malware programs that also are able to make sure that all of their browser changes are completely reversed.

Znoo.net: Making Your Browser Little More Than a Caged Monkey in Its Monetized Zoo

Znoo.net is a site with little to offer except links to other websites, including a Google-powered search engine, buttons for popular social networking services and other ways of redirecting you to better sites than itself. Although malware researchers found some of Znoo.net's promoted content to be potentially undesirable, Znoo.net does not promote hazardous Web content, and visiting Znoo.net isn't a danger to your PC. At its worst, Znoo.net may be accused of profiting off of traffic via cookies and user-redirection methods that hold no advantages for you as a PC user.

The same isn't equally applicable to Znoo.net's Znoo program, however, which is a generic browser add-on that promotes Znoo.net through various system changes. Although Znoo's homepage and search engine changes promoting Znoo.net are common enough, Znoo also has been implicated in making harmful changes to the effected PC's desktop shortcuts that may result in completely arbitrary redirects to Znoo.net. At the current time, malware analysts consider Znoo a low-level PC threat no worse than a common browser hijacker or adware.

Orchestrating the Escape from Znoo.net's Browser Confinement

While Znoo.net provides uninstallation instructions for its Znoo product, malware researchers warn that using their recommended method will not remove all settings changes and components related to Znoo's presence on your computer. To be certain that your shortcuts and browser both are purged of any undesired side effects, using anti-malware software always is encouraged when you need to delete Znoo. While Znoo.net, all by itself, is not a danger to your browser, software that takes over your browser's ability to load any specific sites always should be categorized as unsafe or, at a minimum, merely undesirable.

Interestingly enough, Znoo.net doesn't appear to have much confidence in its own product – since the website, itself, doesn't provide a download link for Znoo. Circumstantial evidence gathered has led to the expectation that Znoo.net's software is being distributed through bundles with unrelated programs. Keeping an eye on the options provided to you while installing new programs from unfamiliar sources can, accordingly, be your best protection against an unwanted Znoo installer.

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