Search.secure-dm.com Redirect

What is search.secure-dm.com?

The search.secure-dm.com website is distributed by a deceptive browser hijacking app called 'Secure Download Manager'.

According to the developers, this application allows users to download, compress, and decompress various files. These fake promises often trick users into believing that Secure Download Manager is a legitimate and useful app. In fact, it is a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program (PUP).

The main reasons for these negative associations are stealth installation, browser settings modification, and information tracking.

After Secure Download Manager infiltrates Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, it assigns these browser default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL settings to search.secure-dm.com. Furthermore, a number of applications/browser plug-ins are installed, which prevent users from rolling back the changes.

These actions significantly diminish the Internet browsing experience, since users are continually redirected to search.secure-dm.com. In addition, their Internet browsing activity is continually monitored and information such as IP addresses, websites visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc. is recorded.

Some of this collected information may contain personally identifiable details, which are later shared with third parties who can misuse it to generate revenue. Therefore, having Secure Download Manager installed on your system might lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. You are strongly advised to uninstall this application from your system immediately.

Secure Download Manager Privacy Policy regarding data sharing:

We may also collect, use and store information about your search activity when you use web search services (such as search queries) (“Search Data”). This information may be shared with third-party applications that use Search Data to function, or to offer you more customized information, advertising and services.

Secure Download Manager is simply a regular browser hijacker, and thus, has similar characteristics to hundreds of other applications including Plusnetwork.com, guard-search.com, and search-webresults.com.

These websites also claim to be legitimate, however, browser hijacking applications never provide the features promised - they diminish Internet browsing performance, collect information, display ads, cause unwanted browser redirects, and modify settings without users' permission. Their sole purpose is to generate revenue for the developers  - they deliver no real value to users.

How did Secure Download Manager install on my computer?

Users are able to download Secure Download Manager at the official website. Despite this, Secure Download Manager is likely to infiltrate systems without users' consent. Applications such this are distributed using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' - stealth installation of additional apps along with the chosen software.

This method is effective, since many users do not pay enough attention when downloading and installing software. They are often unaware that these rogue applications are concealed within the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings - by skipping this section, they inadvertently install them.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent installation of adware or browser-hijacking applications, express caution when downloading and installing software. Do not rush these processes. The download and installation procedures should be performed using the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' options - this will reveal any potentially unwanted programs listed for installation and enable you to decline them.

Website promoting Secure Download Manager browser hijacker:

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Quick menu:

• What is search.secure-dm.com?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Secure Download Manager application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search.secure-dm.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Secure Download Manager browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Secure Download Manager malicious extension from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search.secure-dm.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Secure Download Manager browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for “Secure Download Manager”, and other recently-installed suspicious apps, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted programs that cause browser redirects to the search.secure-dm.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Search.secure-dm.com redirect removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://search.secure-dm.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.

Change your default search engine:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "OneSearch".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.secure-dm.com browser hijacker, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, click "set pages", hover your mouse over hxxp://search.secure-dm.com and click the x symbol. Now, you can add your preferred website as your homepage.

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search" section, click "Manage Search Engines...", remove "secure-dm" and add or select your preferred domain.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.secure-dm.com browser hijacker, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions" and remove "Secure Download Manager" (and other recently-installed browser plug-ins).

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://search.secure-dm.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "secure-dm.com"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.secure-dm.com browser hijacker removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.secure-dm.com browser hijacker, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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