NetImprovment

NetImprovment is a browser hijacker application used as a vehicle to promote a dubious search engine. The application targets Mac users mainly, as it tries to sneak its installation without attracting any attention. This deceptive behavior also classifies as NetImrpovment as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program). Generally, PUPs rely on two tactics - they are either packaged as a preselected choice inside the installation of a more popular freeware/shareware product or placed inside fake software installers/updaters. 

Once inside the user's Mac, NetImprovment will proceed to establish control over the installed web browsers. The goal is to modify certain settings to promote a sponsored address, as we said this is usually a fake search engine. Users may notice that their normal homepage now opens an unfamiliar website. The same could also be true for the new tab page and the default search engine for the browser. 

Fake search engines are rarely capable of producing any results on their own, as most of them simply lack that functionality. Instead, they hijack the searches of the users and redirect them to a legitimate engine. NetImprovment has been observed to use the legitimate search.yahoo.com engine for its results. 

Users are advised to remove any PUPs, as soon as they notice the first signs of suspicious activity. Keep in mind, that applications of this type are usually equipped with data-harvesting capabilities that might include information such as the entire browsing history, search history and clicked URLs.