Genieo

Genieo is a browser hijacker designed for Mac computers. Genieo takes control of the user's browsers. This leads to customized search results and potentially unwanted targeted advertising to be pushed on the user. It also changes the home page and presents one that is managed through a browser extension. Additionally, Genieo also tracks the user's internet activities and through Genieo search shows specific results and commercial offers.

Most security solutions for Mac will detect and remove Genieo automatically. This potentially unwanted program (PUP) was developed by an Israeli company Genieo Innovation. Genieo was first released back in 2009. Over the years, the company has released other applications that have also been designated as PUPs.

Genieo is often included in bundles and could be installed without the knowledge of the user and this is another red flag. What's more, there have been cases where the installer was masquerading as an Adobe Flash update or video codecs. Genieo is not usually classified as a harmful malware threat on its own but using it may result in serious threats infiltrating the user's system. What's worse is that in 2019 a user reported a case of OSX.Genieo locking them out from their MacBook Air, changing various account settings and erasing or in other ways removing information from a Secure Note.