If your browsing history shows visits to unsecured websites, you need to know you’re being scammed.
What Are Unsecured Websites?
These are websites that cybercriminals create so that people like you and me download useless software.
Through this software, they persuade us to provide personal information.
Through this scam, the defaulters attempt to replace some of our default browser settings with their website domain. Thus, it’s better if you would consider this a virus or a malware infection.
Various suspicious toolbars buttons and extensions in the browser may be installed by the scammer. Such installations act as helpers that prevent the user from focusing on the new settings.
It ensures that the web searches redirect you to some predetermined websites, ads, banners, and pop-up tabs
This strange activity may keep your web activities on its track. This text can swamp your device screen with ads. It may disrupt your web browsing sessions with sudden clicks and redirect links.
So, browsing the internet may be an important element in your daily life, but the dangers of surfing the web are real. And here is what you need to know so you can take appropriate action.
Why is this happening to your browsing history shows visits to unsecured websites?
One thing that you can be sure of when you see such a thing happening to yourself is, Stay Calm. You should know that this occurrence in your system will not cause any long-lasting negative effects on your device.
Still, you ought to remove this scam and get rid of any virus or malware that might be on your device. Because the longer it remains in your system, the greater problems you may face.
It works like this. When you click on “Your browsing history showed visits to unsecured websites”, you are automatically redirected to third-party sites.
The purpose this serves is that it increases the popularity of these third-party sites which would otherwise have no clicks. So in this way, more visitors to these sites are ensured when you search for the answer to your problem (irrespective of ios or android)
So, as a first step, you need to handle these redirects cautiously as they expose you to unreliable websites.
These websites will further try to trick you to install fake software or buy useless products. Again don’t fall for it!
There is also a possibility that this scam will make your devices vulnerable to malware( like trojan or ransomware) transmitters or other intense threats such as rootkits and viruses. False updates notification, security warnings, and error messages might also be sent to you as a part of this scam.
Next,
“Your browsing history showed visits to unsecured websites. You now have a virus on your device. Clean your phone”.
Never follow the instructions given in the message. It may direct you to some sort of malicious website or other third party as it’s a text scam.
The intention of this scam is to persuade people to install unwanted software and malware.
Criminals use typical social engineering tricks to ensure that users download and install software that they offer so that they can illegally make money out of it. This causes privacy issues for all those users who click the promoted links.
And at last, If you have seen the “Your browsing history showed visits to unsecured websites” scam, you should not conclude that it is true.
You should understand what’s said is fully fabricated. But at the same time, you should not dismiss the probability of the presence of some virus in the device.
Internet fraud has been prevalent for as long as the internet existed. Through these fake messages, cybercriminals can achieve their goals much easier, as there are plenty of people who are unaware of what they use.
What can you do?
One should make sure that his device is safe from the presence of other types of malware that might be the cause for the redirection to malicious websites and other such steps. You can do this by following the steps given below-
1. Scan your device with security software.
Ensure a full system scan with powerful security software.
This step is of special significance if you have installed software promoted through the link that appears provided with the fake message.
Malicious ads or such redirects are mostly seen on high-risk sites. Thus you have to use an effective ad-blocker that can prevent malicious ad scripts.
2. Check for unwanted browser extensions.
Not all browser extensions on desktop versions are useful and safe. Therefore, you should check for unwanted extensions.
Different search engines follow different steps to check for such unwanted extensions. Here is a guide of basic steps you can follow to check on your unwanted browser extensions.
For Google Chrome
- Open Google Chrome
- ClickMenu– the three dots on the top right corner
- Select the option More
- Click on Extensions
- A new window appears with all the installed extensions.
- Click on Remove to uninstall all the suspicious or unwanted extensions.
For MS Edge
- OpenEdge
- ClickSettings
- Select Extensions
- Click on Remove to uninstall the unwanted extensions.
Safari
- ClickSafari
- Select Preferences
- A new window appears
- SelectExtensionsfrom the appeared new window.
- Select the unwanted extensions and click uninstall.
3. Clean your browsers.
As long as you are performing a full system scan with security software, your device is secure irrespective of whether or not you are clicking the link or you are downloading something.
Anti-malware is incapable of removing data related to your browser settings.
Ensure that your browser is free from various caches, cookies, and other web data. This would also reduce the risk of session hijacking, which could occur under particular circumstances.
To clean your browsers, proceed with the following steps:
1. Google Chrome.
- Click on Menu
- Select Settings
- Click on Privacy and security
- Select Clear Browsing Data
- Select Browsing history, Cookies, and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
2. If you are using Google Chrome on your mobile device:
- Tap on the three dots
- Select Settings
- Click on Privacy and Security
- Select Clear Browsing Data
3. In the case of MS Edge
- Click on Menu
- Go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and Services
- Click on Choose what to clear from Clear browsing data
- Under Time Range, select All time.
- ClickClear Now.
4. Safari
- Click on Safari.
- Select Clear History
- Select All history from the drop-down menu under Clear.
- Click on Clear History.
5. In the case of iPhone users:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Safari
- Click Clear History and Website Data
Once you have completed all these steps, you can ensure that your device is from all sorts of viruses.
Analyze the safety of a website with this information:
You have to create a strong password while you are on a website that is asking for your sensitive personal information such as credit card numbers.
You have to also verify that the information you have provided is properly transmitted and stored.
To avoid the transmission of your provided information as plain text, you have to ensure the encryption of the website over a secure connection (wi-fi)
HTTPS OR HTTP
The URL of the website is an indicator of the security the site is offering. A website that is safe and secured will have a URL that begins with “HTTPS” rather than “HTTP”. The “s” in “HTTPS” stands for secure. This encrypts your information prior to its delivery to a server.
This is called the HTTPS Protocol. To have this system installed in your device by default, review a guide to HTTPS Everywhere.
The presence of the “LOCK ICON”
The “Lock” icon displayed in the window of your web browser also indicates the safety of the website. The position of the lock may differ from browser to browser.
Simply confirming the presence of the “lock” icon is not sufficient to estimate the reliability of the website. You have to click on the “Lock” icon and verify it. A click on the lock icon will provide detailed information on the authenticity of the website.
Maximum utilization of the security tools of the internet browser.
Install the latest version of the web browser. Such browsers have filters that are highly developed and sophisticated. They can alert the user about possible security threats.
Conclusion
These unsecured websites replace some of the default browser settings like the homepage and the search engine with their own website domain and search engine tool.
Owing to this reason, the users should consider the scam as a virus or some malware.
It gives way to the installation of certain doubtful toolbars, plug-ins, buttons, etc. in the browser.
It could help block the user from using the new installation mode making sure that the user gets directed to some fixed pages, ads, banner advertisements, and pop-up tabs.
The link given in the “Your Browsing History Shows Visits to Unsecured Websites” scam directs you to a phishing website. These phishing websites are capable of stealing your account credentials, and personal and financial information.