How To Remove gsecurecontent From Mac

What Is gsecurecontent.com?

gsecurecontent.com is browser hijacker for Safari and Chrome that can get installed on your Mac together with some free software or pirated files you’ve downloaded from the Internet.

gsecurecontent.com will constantly redirect all Macs using Safari or Chrome browser to (usually a browser extension/add-on or a program) that can alter browsers’ default search engine, new tab page or start page against users’ wishes.

Summary

Name gsecurecontent / gsecurecontent.com
Type Safari and Chrome Browser Hijacker For Mac
Danger Level Medium – (gsecurecontent can steal various sensitive information)
Symptoms Pop-ups, Redirects, unwanted advertisement.
Distribution Method Spam and phishing messages sent via email and other messaging platforms are among the leading distribution techniques.
Removal Tool

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using a Professional Antivirus  

gsecurecontent.com, which will in turn send you to unknown search engines. You may follow this step-by-step guide to uninstall gsecurecontent hijacker and remove www.gsecurecontent.com redirects from your browsers.

Apple Community Forum has lit up recently with people complaining of this issue.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Is gsecurecontent Safe?

gsecurecontent.com is an unsafe ad-generating and browser-redirecting app that functions as a rogue attachment for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox browsers. If you have gsecurecontent added to your browser, you will probably notice changes in the browser’s search engine as well as sudden page redirects.

Give Me Your Money

The end goal of this undesirable software is simple: it is an app programmed to make money through aggressive online marketing with little to no regard for the user’s safety or undisturbed browsing experience. In fact, apps like gsecurecontent are specifically designed to be as obstructive and intrusive as possible as this will typically force users to interact with the promotional content that they generate which, in turn, is what earns revenue for their creators on the basis of models such as Pay-Per-View and Pay-Per-Click. One of the most popular Browser Hijackers at the moment is Search Marquis, for months it has infected mac users that same way.

Stats

gsecurecontent.com is newly formed from about 5 months ago, It has few thousand visits a day which we image is from infected macs.

The browser-hijacking app is also likely to tamper with the homepage and toolbar settings of the browser, taking over them and forcing them to spam you with different forms of online advertisements, including pop-up messages, misleading links, questionable download buttons and security warnings, clickbait banners, and even fake download requests.

gsecurecontent.com for Mac only

gsecurecontent.com mostly targets Mac users. Such newly-released browser-hijacking tools can get installed on pretty much any browser, causing uncontrolled page redirects in it. The redirects spammed by gsecurecontent for Mac could potentially lead to questionable sites so its best to not trust them.

Here, it’s worth mentioning that the developers of such software don’t normally seek to harm your Mac or to expose it to any sort of harm. It’s just that they are indiscriminate with regard to what content and sites their hijackers promote as long as it earns them money. Needless to say, this means that many of the web addresses that get promoted by such software could potentially be hazardous.

This, combined with the fact that you virtually have no control over the ads and redirects spammed by the hijacker, means that the chances of having your Mac exposed to ransomware, Trojans, or other dangerous viruses are quite high if there is a hijacker added to any of your browsers.

Quick Removal for Mac [Method 1]

  1. Open these three Locations
  2. copy the entire line bellow and paste it in the Finder’s Go menu > Go to Folder… field. Make it look like this:
  3. /Library/LaunchAgents
  4. ~/Library/LaunchAgents
  5. /Library/LaunchDaemons

Suspicious apps: MacUpper.plist


Please check all the apps and the developers of them. If you see any you don’t recognize delete them.

TIP: Rather then deleting , place them in another folder to deactivate those programs. check if the problem is resolved then delete them, if not you can put them back.

How to Remove gsecurecontent

  1. Remove gsecurecontent From Programs and Features (optional)
  2. Remove gsecurecontent From All Browsers
  3. How to Protect Your Mac From gsecurecontent and Other Browser Hijackers

Remove gsecurecontent.com From Programs and Features

Go to Programs and Features, uninstall all programs that can be related to gsecurecontent or others that you are not aware of installing yourself. Programs you installed just before gsecurecontent appeared on your Mac should be analyzed and checked if they are safe. When you are not sure if a program is safe, look for the answer on the Internet.

Mac OS:

  1. On the top menu select Go => Applications.
  2. Drag an unwanted application to the Trash bin.
  3. Right-click on the Trash and select Empty Trash.

Windows 10:

  1. Press and hold Windows key Windows key and hit X key.
  2. Select Apps and Features from the menu.
  3. Look for gsecurecontent in the list. If you find the app, highlight it.
  4. Click Uninstall.

Remove gsecurecontent.com From Browsers:

To get rid of gsecurecontent, either reset browser settings or remove new and suspicious extensions from browsers and set new tab page and default search provider.

Reset Google Chrome Settings:

Note: This will disable your extensions and themes, clear cookies and site data, as well as change content settings, start page, new tab page and search engine to default.

  1. Open a new tab.
  2. Copy and paste into the address bar: chrome://settings/resetProfileSettings
  3. Press Enter.
  4. In the dialog box click Reset.
Alternative Way to Get Rid of gsecurecontent.com in Google Chrome:
  1. Click on three dots menu button three dots menu at the top right corner of the window.
  2. Select More tools ⇒ Extensions.
  3. Click REMOVE to uninstall an extension.
  4. Click Remove in the dialog box.
  5. Right-click the address bar and select Edit search engines….
  6. Click on three dots button three dots menu next to the search provider you want and select Make default.
  7. Click on three dots button three dots menu next to hijacker search engine and select Remove from list.
  8. Click on back arrow at the top of the page (near Manage search engines).
  9. Under On startup section select Open the New Tab page.
  10. Scroll to the top. Under Appearance section enable Show Home button setting.
  11. Clear the textfield of the existing address. Put the one you want or select New Tab page.
  12. Close Settings tab.

Note:

 If you cannot access the Extensions page, click on the top left corner of Chrome window and open Task Manager. End processes for any unfamiliar extensions that are running. Then go to the Extensions page and delete these extensions.
Alternatively, go to %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions (just copy that path and paste into the address bar of Windows Explorer/File Explorer). Delete all folders within (that will remove all your installed extensions) or search the Internet for the folders’ names to figure out which extension compares to which folder and delete suspicious ones.

Reset Mozilla Firefox Settings:

Note: Your extensions and themes, among other things, will get deleted.

  1. Click on menu button Menu button.
  2. Click on help button Help button and select Troubleshooting Information.
  3. Click Refresh Firefox… in the top-right corner.
  4. In the dialog box click Refresh Firefox.
Alternative Way to Get Rid of gsecurecontent in Mozilla Firefox:
  1. Click on menu button Menu button and select Add-ons.
  2. Go to Extensions tab.
  3. To uninstall an add-on, click on Remove button next to it.

Note: If the extension is impossible to delete, click on Menu button => Help button => Restart with Add-ons Disabled…. In dialog boxes click Restart => Start in Safe Mode. Repeat steps 1-3. Restart Firefox in normal mode after you are finished.

  1. Click on the search icon in the search bar and click Change Search Settings.
  2. Select search engine you want from the drop-down menu.
  3. Highlight the hijacker search engine in the table below and click Remove.
  4. Go to General tab.
  5. Under Startup section click Restore to Default button.

Remove gsecurecontent.com from Safari:

  1. On the top menu select Safari => Preferences.
  2. Select Extensions tab.
  3. Select an extension you want to delete and click Uninstall button next to it.
  4. Go to General tab.
  5. Select what you want Safari to open on start-up, new windows, new tabs and homepage.
  6. Go to Search tab.
  7. Select the search engine you want.

Reset Edge Settings:

Note: This will remove most of your saved browser data, including extensions, passwords and the majority of browser settings.

  1. Click Tools button Tools button in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Internet options.
  3. Go to Advanced tab.
  4. Click Reset… button.
  5. Put checkmark in Delete personal settings checkbox.
  6. Click Reset.
Alternative Way to Get Rid of gsecurecontent in Edge
  1. Click Tools button Tools button in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Manage add-ons.
  3. In the drop-down menu under Show: select All add-ons.
  4. To delete an add-on, double-click it; in the new window click Remove.
  5. Go to Search Providers tab.
  6. Right-click the search engine you want and click Set as default.
  7. Right-click the hijacker search engine and click Remove.
  8. Click Close.
  9. Click Tools button Tools button.
  10. Select Internet options.
  11. Under Home page section click Use new tab or enter the URL you want.
  12. Click OK.

How does gsecurecontent.com Work?

gsecurecontent.com is an aggressive site-promoting software component that can only work when attached to your browser. Typical symptoms associated with gsecurecontent are unwelcome changes in the browser’s settings and sudden redirects to websites you have never intended to visit.

If you have recently noticed any of this inside your browser, be sure to further investigate the issue and if it turns out that a hijacker such as this one is causing them, uninstall the unwanted app ASAP.

Stay Safe

That is why it is essential to never download new software that doesn’t seem trustworthy and reliable. Not only will that keep hijackers like gsecurecontent away from your Mac but it will also help you protect your machine against more serious threats like phishing viruses, Trojans, or ransomware. Using an antivirus will drastically lower the chances of programs tinkering with your settings. 

Author:
Daniel Sadakov has a degree in Information Technology and specializes in web and mobile cyber security. He harbors a strong detestation for anything and everything malicious and has committed his resources and time to battling all manners of web and mobile threats. He has founded MobileSecurityZone.com, a website dedicated to covering the top tech stories and providing useful tips for the everyday user, in an effort to reach and help more people.

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