How to remove apps that open protected-connection.com and similar web pages

What is protected-connection[.]com?

protected-connection[.]com is one of many deceptive, untrusted websites that often tricks visitors into downloading and installing software. These web pages display notifications stating that the device (computer, mobile telephone or other device) is infected with viruses and encourage visitors to remove threats with various applications.

Websites such as protected-connection[.]com should never be trusted, even if they advertise legitimate software. They are commonly opened through dubious ads/web pages or installed potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).

There are at least two versions of pop-up notifications that protected-connection[.]com displays. In one version of the protected-connection[.]com notification, visitors are encouraged to encrypt web traffic and change the IP address, since someone might be monitoring their web browsing activities.

Another pop-up is disguised as a system notification regarding a critical threat. It attempts to trick visitors into believing that their devices are infected with 27 viruses, which apparently infected the system through an adult website. It states that the viruses must be removed immediately, otherwise they will damage the device, SIM card, and delete contacts.

Both notifications attempt to deceive visitors into installing Virtual Private Network (VPN) software. At the time of research, protected-connection[.]com led to a download page of the app named iNinja VPN. This app is available for download on Apple App Store and is not a potentially malicious or harmful app, however, all applications should be downloaded from official pages.

Note that web pages such as protected-connection[.]com can never be trusted. If the browser opens web pages such as protected-connection[.]com (or other dubious sites) automatically, it might have a PUA installed.

Generally, PUAs display various ads such as coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, etc. If clicked, they often open untrusted pages. In some cases, they can execute scripts designed to download or even install unwanted software. PUAs also track and record information such as IP addresses, URLs of visited pages, entered search queries, geolocations and other browsing data.

Some target confidential information. The developers sell the data to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue in other ways. These actions can lead to problems with privacy, browsing safety or even identity theft. Therefore, remove any installed PUAs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	protected-connection.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	This page claims that the device is infected with viruses, or browsing activity might be monitored by other parties.
Serving IP Address	104.31.82.197
Related Domains	webalertsecure[.]com, proscope-protection[.]com, connection-assistant[.]com, gain-privacy[.]com, private-connection[.]com
Promoted Application	iNinja VPN
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.

More examples of similar deceptive web pages are apl-def[.]com, safariosso-aplosso[.]com and vpnshieldplus4[.]com. They attempt to deceive visitors into downloading and installing rogue applications - typically, a potentially unwanted or malicious app. These websites cannot be trusted and should be ignored.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Generally, people do not download or install these PUAs intentionally. It usually happens when they click deceptive ads that execute certain scripts or when the apps are distributed by including them into various download/installation set-ups.

This distribution method is known as "bundling" and is used by developers who seek to trick users into downloading and installing PUAs together with regular software. Typically, information about additionally-included apps can be found in settings such as "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" and other similar settings.

Many users download and install programs without checking and changing these settings, thereby often agreeing by default with offers to download and install additional apps included in the set-ups.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Files and programs should not be downloaded or installed through third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), dubious websites, or other channels - this can lead to download/installation of unwanted, potentially malicious apps.

Files and programs should be downloaded only from official websites and through direct links. Set-ups that contain settings such as "Custom", "Advanced" should be checked for offers to download or install potentially unwanted applications. Decline these offers before completing the process.

Do not click advertisements that appear on dubious web pages, since they can open untrusted websites or download/install unwanted apps. Remove any unwanted, suspicious apps (extensions, plug-ins or add-ons) installed on the browser immediately. The same should be applied to software of this kind that is installed on the 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.

Text in the protected-connection[.]com pop-up window:

Someone May Be Watching
What You Browse
Your IP 104.243.238.154 could be exposed.
Someone may know your Apple iPhone
Follow three steps to encrypt your web traffic and change your IP address:
    
Click below to download VPN.
Open app, click connect button.
Browse web and apps anonymously.
Install Now Cancel

 Screenshot of another version of protected-connection[.]com pop-up:

Text in this pop-up:

Critical threat

Your device has been infected with 27 viruses after visiting an Adult website. If the problem is not resolved immediately, viruses will damage your device, harm the SIM card and delete all your contacts. To protect your device from the viruses, click the button "Remove all viruses" below, install VPNcurity app from the AppStore, open it and run cleaning procedure.

Remove all viruses

Screenshot of iNinja VPN on App Store:

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".

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 "protected-connection[.]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.

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