How to stop browsers causing redirects to safari-protection.com

What is safari-protection[.]com?

safari-protection[.]com is the address of a deceptive website that should not be trusted. It encourages visitors to download the Net Shield application, which is designed to protect users from having personal data stolen through malicious ads. Do not download applications that are advertised through (or on) deceptive websites.

Furthermore, people do not generally visit websites such as safari-protection[.]com intentionally - they are redirected to them by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) installed on their browsers or operating systems.

Research shows that safari-protection[.]com targets mostly iPad and iPhone users, however, these pages are often opened on Mac computers. When opened, safari-protection[.]com informs visitors that they are required to download and install an app called Net Shield, otherwise personal data might be stolen through malicious ads designed by cyber criminals.

It is mentioned that stolen personal details might include information relating to banking. Visitors are encouraged to install Net Shield immediately. The Net Shield app is available for download on an official App Store website.

It is likely that Net Shield is a legitimate application, however, you are advised not to download software that is promoted through web pages such as safari-protection[.]com

Generally, browsers redirect users to websites such as safari-protection[.]com due to PUAs installed on them. Apps of this type usually gather data and/or display intrusive ads. In most cases, they collect details such as users' IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries and other details relating to browsing habits.

People who develop PUAs share the details with other parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse them to generate revenue. In many cases, installed PUAs feed users with deceptive ads (coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, etc.). If clicked, these lead them to untrustworthy, potentially malicious websites or run scripts that download and/or install PUAs.

Threat Summary:

Name	safari-protection.com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address	159.89.44.166
Detection Names	Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Promoted Application	Net Shield.
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

safari-protection[.]com is similar to thevpnsafety[.]com, safetyvpn[.]net, numberonevpn[.]com and a number of other websites of this type. Typically, these deceptive web pages trick people into downloading and installing apps that supposedly protect systems, fix errors, or provide other features.

Even if promoted apps are legitimate, do not trust deceptive web pages that are used to advertise them. PUAs that open these sites are all very similar: they are supposedly legitimate and useful, however, in most cases, they open dubious sites, gather various details, and/or display intrusive ads.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

People download and install PUAs inadvertently when they click deceptive ads that run scripts - these start the download/installation process of unwanted apps. In other cases, unwanted downloads/installations are caused through set-ups of software that people wish to download.

In many cases, set-ups include offers to download or install additional apps. These offers are usually hidden in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on. People who leave them unchanged grant permission for PUAs to be downloaded and/or installed with other (usually free) software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Software should be downloaded through official websites and direct download links. Third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (eMule, torrent clients), unofficial websites and other download or installation sources/tools of this kind should not be used. If a download or installation setup contains settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on, they should be checked.

Dismiss offers to install or download additional, unwanted programs. Do not click intrusive ads, especially if they are displayed on dubious websites. They can lead to other dubious web pages or cause unwanted downloads and installations. If these redirects happen without clicking ads or intrusive ads appear often, this might be due to installed PUAs.

If this is the case, check the list of installed browser apps (extensions, add-ons, plug-ins) and remove all unwanted, suspicious entries. The same applies to programs installed on operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Other variants of pop-up messages displayed in the safari-protection[.]com website:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

Video presenting safari-protection[.]com scam website and showing how to clean web browsing data:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is safari-protection[.]com?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX", "NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

▼ Show Discussion