Were you infected by Smartinf.ru? We provide detailed Smartinf.ru removal instructions for all versions of Windows.
Smartinf.Ru
Smartinf.ru is a virus that should be removed immediately from your system – it is extremely dangerous and can cause much harm if left unattended. Since you are visiting this removal guide, you have already identified exactly which virus has infected you. Deleting it before it can cause harm is mandatory for the well-being of your PC. While you can just skip to the instructions below, we suggest you take a quick look at the rest of the article, because it can be instrumental in helping you avoid things like Smartinf.ru in the future.
WARNING! EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! You should know that browser hijackers will try to trick you – but there is just one reason for them to do so. Whether it is to apply fake updates, scan, renew database, or whatever else the creators of Smartinf.ru think of, it will want access from you. Do not give access to any programs that prompt you to do so, even if they look legitimate or like Windows itself. If you fail to heed this warning, you can end up with more browser hijackers, adware, or in the worst case scenario, even ransomware. Ransomware are the boogeymen of security experts – these are malicious programs that gather your personal files (including documents, movies, song, books, etc) and encrypt them – which is to say lock them up so you can’t access them. Then ransomware will try to extort money out of you by making you pay for the decryption key necessary to release the files. And you need to do all of that in a window if time the infection gives you – usually between 24 and 48 hours. If you can’t cough up some green until then, the key is destroyed, making your files unusable unless you find a way to crack the encryption code…. which may happen a few months later.
Doesn’t sound pleasant, right? Remove Smartinf.ru before it gets to that critical point.
Let’s take a look at Smartinf.ru (and browser hijackers in general)
The word browser hijacker is a fusion between ad (short of advertisement) and malware (a hostile&intrusive program). You are already familiar with how a browser hijacker (in the face of Smartinf.ru) operates – it generates ads. Closing every pop-up can be a real pain in the ass, but even more substantial danger may come if you interact with those ads and download something.
REMEMBER! All products offered by the ads are fake. In fact each and every ad you decide to explore can lead to either of these things:
- Waste your time as the hyperlinks don’t really lead to the product advertised.
- Rob you of money as they are no actual products sold and everything is a scam.
- Implant more viruses in your computer if you download and install anything.
Close all pop-ups and ignore all ads and the virus is harmless. However, it is important to know that you may be seeing a couple of other messages that may not look exactly like ads. Several examples:
- Pop-up with error message that want you to install a missing plug-in.
- A media player that wants a specific video player before it will show video.
- A warning about an outdated important program like Flash or Java and offer to install the update.
- “Free” software for download. Anti-virus scanners are very commonly used as bait for this scam.
Make no mistake – each every one of these things is a virus. In fact you are looking at some of the most popular tricks to spread viruses like Smartinf.ru. You may see similar messages on many different sites around the web and they are a clear indication when a site is not safe.
IMPORTANT! If you are thinking you may actually have to update or program or are genially interested in one of the offered things (after all, they do use legitimate programs as decoys) do the following. Google the name of the program you want and download it from the official site. That way you are 100% certain its virus free.
One more trick most people are unaware of
That trick is the so-called program bundles. It is customary for developers to add additional programs and utilities to the installer of their product. This is done for promotional purposes for other products from the save dev or for his partners.
Unfortunately, especially with free programs, this extra things may be browser hijacker. For this reason never do a default installation, but an Advanced one and un-click all unwanted extras.
Also, you should be aware that the moment Smartinf.ru got in, it started tracking your browsing behavior, asking to online surveys, except it’s not asking but outright recording. It also gathers any account names and passwords you visit and type in, and has the capability to read cookies. The information is stored on your PC and sent to whoever created Smartinf.ru about a week after the infection is first encountered. This could lead to disasters if you these people get a hold of PayPal accounts or any other that use active online payment methods. We recommend a full password change to any accounts exposed to sensitive information.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Smartinf.ru |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Detection Tool |
How to Remove Smartinf.ru
Search Marquis is a high-profile hijacker – you might want to see if you’re not infected with it as well.
You can find the removal guide here.
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