Some cyber threats are obvious, but some are masters at slipping under the radar. The MyWay search virus is one of the malwares out there that knows how to hide in plain sight. It is a tenacious virus that is hard to catch but even harder to get rid of. Fortunately, we have a list of methods that will help you eliminate these browser hijackers.
What is the MyWay Search Virus?
The MyWay search virus is in a league of its own. This particular virus stands out amongst its malware siblings due to its ability to infect across multiple platforms. MyWay is not reserved for just Windows or Mac. It infects both and can inconspicuously hijack several web browsers too.
However, the threat is not the MyWay webpage. The MyWay search page is actually an avenue for a browser extension or plug-in. The plug-in introduces a code that modifies the web browsers on a Mac and redirects them to a fradulent page.
How Does It Infect Your Mac?
The MyWay search virus outlasts the majority of common cyber thieves and hijackers in terms of distribution. However, their methods are not so different from one another.
The MyWay search virus enters Macs using the classic bundling trick. This means the MyWay virus accesses Macs under the cover of an unrelated, third party application. The third-party application looks innocent enough, but it is really carrying a harmful parasitic entity.
After installation, MyWay plants a new helper tool into every major browser in a Mac. Like we mentioned, MyWay is invasive and can work across multiple platforms. So whether you use Chrome, Safari or Firefox, the MyWay virus infects them all.
The new extension reconfigures your searching capabilities. Suddenly, your home page, search provider, and new tabs are all redirecting to the MyWay domain rather than to your preferences.
Now, here is the kicker. The landing pages are actually pretty ordinary. You can conduct normal searches on them with no problem. However, your list of results will not only contain answers to your search, but it will also contain sponsored links. Essentially, the creators of MyWay are trying to hijack your browsing traffic and monetize it for their own profit.
If the MyWay virus has already latched onto your browsers, there are some easy methods to eliminate the plug-in.
How to Manually Remove the MyWay Search Virus
Here are the steps you need to manually remove the MyWay search virus from your Mac. It is a bit of an extensive list, so bear with us.
- First, go to the Finder folder on your Mac.
- At the menu bar, select Go and open up the Utilities folder from the drop-down list.
- In the Utilities folder, locate and double click the Activity Monitor icon.
- Under Activity Monitor, find the MyWay search entry and select Quit Process.
- A dialog box will appear to confirm that you want to quit the process. Select the Force Quit option.
- Next, go back to the Go button again. This time pick Applications from the drop-down menu.
- Find the MyWay search entry, right click it, and Move to Trash. It might require your authentification, but just insert your password and proceed.
- Now, access the Apple menu by clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner of the menu bar.
- Pick System Preferences.
- Select Accounts before clicking the Login Items button. This will produce a list of applications that launch when the computer boots up. Locate the MySearch entry and enter the “-” button.
These steps deal primarily with removing the MyWay virus from your Mac’s operating system. We have to also remove the MyWay plug-in or extension from your web browser and reset your browser settings.
To reconfigure Safari, follow these steps:
- With Safari open, select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Under Preferences select Privacy, followed by Remove All Website Data.
- Then, still under preferences, go to the Advanced tab.
- Select Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar.
- Click Develop followed by Empty Caches.
- Lastly, go back to Preferences and click on Security. Ensure that the Allow Plug-Ins box is unchecked.
To reset Google Chrome, follow these steps:
- Open Chrome and select the More button indicated with three dots on top of each other.
- Select Settings and find Advanced Settings at the bottom of the page.
- From there, go to Reset Settings.
- Select Restore Settings To Their Original Defaults.
- Confirm this modification by clicking Reset settings.
To rest Firefox, follow these steps:
- Open Firefox.
- Find the Menu bar by clickin gon the icon of three stacked lines.
- Select the question mark at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click on Troubleshootin information.
- Lastly, click the Reset Firefox button.
Use Freshmac to Automatically Remove MyWay Malware
If the manual steps are a little too extensive for your liking, you override the MyWay virus with a specially designed software known as Freshmac. Freshmac is an ideal tool to optimize your Mac’s security features.
The Freshmac tools has several useful aspects. First, it opens up space disk space by getting rid of any unnecessary applications and any malware. It also removes tracking cookies and maintains start up apps to ensure your computer boots up quickly and safely. Additionally, 24/7 tech support is always available to you.
Here are the steps to adding Freshmac to your Mac’s operating system and to automatically removing the MyWay virus:
- First, download Freshmac to your computer. Double-click the freshmac.pkg file to open an installer window. After selecting a Destination Disk, click Continue. The system will ask you to authorize the installation. Just enter your password and click Install Software.
- After it has been installed, Freshmac will perform a five-step scan in your computer for any security issues or files taking up too much space.
- Next, it will deliver a scan report. This report gives you a rundown of the current health of your computer system and all its issues. Simply click the Fix Safely button and Freshmac will address all the security concerns and issues it found in the scan.
- When it comes to MyWay, double-check if the redirection problem has been fixed. If the MyWay landing page is still showing up, go to the Uninstaller option on the Freshmac interface.
- Locate any entries or applications that look suspicious, click on it, and select the Fix Safely button. This will forcibly uninstall any unncessary applications.
- Also go to Temp and Startup Apps panes on the Freshmac menu and get rid of any repeated or suspicious files. By now, MyWay should no longer be an issue.
Conclusion
While MyWay is not stealing personal information as other cyber schemes do, MyWay still hijacks your online experience for their own gain. Not to mention, MyWay is not an isolated threat, but one that can affect you on every platform. Hopefully, the steps we shared above will inform you on how to get ahead of this parasitic virus and how to be on top of your cyber security.
