Search.lphant.net

Search.lphant.net is associated with the Bandoo toolbar, a Web browser add-on that claims to add smileys to your instant messages. Unfortunately, these smileys come with various unwanted symptoms, including browser redirects and pop-up windows. Free smileys are often used to trick inexperienced computer users into installing PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Search.lphant.net is closely associated with a variety of potentially harmful components. Exposure to Search.lphant.net may lead to adware and is usually the consequence of browser hijackers.

These types of components are used to take over a computer's Web browser. The people responsible for Search.lphant.net use browser hijackers in order to force computer users to use this low quality search engine repeatedly. If you were forced to visit Search.lphant.net against your will, this indicates that your computer has been compromised by a browser hijacker. A typical symptom of these types of browser hijackers is being redirected to Search.lphant.net.

Marketers Tempt Inexperienced Computer Users into Installing Search.lphant.net-Related PUPs

Browser hijackers associated with Search.lphant.net supposedly makes instant messaging fun through the use of smileys. However, these smileys do not deliver on this promise since they can only be seen by other computer users that have installed the Bandoo toolbar. There are several other issues associated with Search.lphant.net and the Bandoo toolbar, including the following:

1. The Bandoo toolbar may force your Web browser to visit Search.lphant.net and similar websites repeatedly. Your home page and default search engine may be changed to Search.lphant.net.
2. Adware associated with Search.lphant.net may add advertisements to your instant messages, allowing marketers to profit at your expense. These advertisements may expose you and the people you message to other kinds of threats.
3. Since the Bandoo toolbar uses private conversations to display advertisements and smileys, it can spread from one computer to another more effectively than similar PUPs.

You should avoid free smileys and similar deals. They are never worth exposing your computer to PUPs. Search.lphant.net redirects and pop-ups can also become quite irritating, preventing you from using the infected computer effectively in your daily work.