Do you know what Planet-surf.com is?
We want to inform you that Planet-surf.com is a malicious search engine that falls into the category of browser hijackers and we advise that you remove it as soon as possible. This hijacker is distributed in a malicious manner, that is, you do not have the choice to opt out from installing while installing the software it comes bundled with. Moreover, it is bound to promote third-party content in its search results. As a result, this hijacker can present you with links to malicious software downloads, phishing or scam websites. In short, this hijacker is a potential security threat, but its developers do not care because they are concerned with making money off online advertising. Please continue reading to know more.
We do not know much about this hijacker primarily because all of the information provided in its legal documentation is in French, but, in any case, it seems that this hijacker’s developers are unknown. We believe that the developers did not sign the search engine on purpose to not receive the backlash that comes with browser hijackers. Nevertheless, Planet-surf.com is identical to Secury-surf.com, Secure-surf.com, and Explorary.com. Therefore, it is likely that they come from the same group of malware developers.
Planet-surf.com screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Our malware researchers have revealed that this hijacker is distributed using software bundling. They say that it comes as an offer when you install a program called Emotiplus. This program offers its users new emoticons for Skype, but it was developed by a French-based company called Development Media 73 which is also responsible for releasing an unreliable search engine called Allo-search.com. While in most cases you can opt out from installing this hijacker, there are cases when it is injected into a computer without any authorization. We have received reports from users who did not get the opportunity to remove Planet-surf.com from the installation process of a bundle.
If this hijacker has infected your computer, then here is what you should expect. It comes with a dedicated browser extension for Internet Explorer and Firefox, but the extension for Firefox does not work because this browser blocks it. Nevertheless, it can be installed on Internet Explorer, and as a result, Planet-surf.com will be set as its default homepage.
Once this hijacker is set as your browser’s default homepage, you may be compelled to use it for your daily searches. Planet-surf.com is powered by Yahoo.com, so this hijacker presents its search results. Nevertheless, there is a twist: the search results can be modified to feature promotional links to various websites that might prove to be malicious, and your computer may become infected with malware. Therefore, this search engine/browser hijacker cannot be trusted, and you should get rid of it as soon as you can.
However, malicious advertisements are not the only things that can plague your computer if you have this infection. Our researchers say that it can also collect information about you and use it for marketing and advertising purposes. As far as we know, Planet-surf.com has the ability to receive only non-personally identifiable anonymous information, such as your browsing and search history, IP address and by extension your approximate geographical location, Internet Service Provider, ads viewed, and so on. The aim of collecting information is to determine your browsing habits and present relevant ads accordingly. Many legitimate search engines do this as well, but this browser hijacker is not a legitimate search engine, so you should not trust it with any information.
In conclusion, Planet-surf.com is a browser hijacker set to change your browser’s homepage and subject you to commercial advertisements that can be of malicious nature. It comes from unknown developers, so there is no way to validate their legitimacy. We invite you to make use of our guide and remove this infection from your computer by resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings. We also suggest scanning your PC with an anti-malware scanner to ensure that it is malware-free.
How to reset Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer.
- Press Alt+T and click Internet Options.
- Open the Advanced tab and click Reset.
- Tick the checkbox.
- Click Reset and then select Close.
In non-techie terms:
Planet-surf.com is a malicious search engine set to hijack your browser’s homepage and subject you to unreliable search results containing advertisements if you choose to keep it. It can also collect sensitive information about you and use it for marketing and advertising purposes. We regard this search engine as a browser hijacker that is part of a web monetization scheme that will not improve your browsing, so do not hesitate to remove it.