SearchBrowserSky

SearchBrowserSky is a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) targeting Mac users predominantly. It is incredibly unlikely that anyone would download and install such a dubious application willingly. That is why PUPs are heavily reliant on deceptive distribution techniques to propagate themselves. SearchBrowserSky, in particular, has been observed to hide inside fake Adobe Flash Player installers. As for its functionality, the PUP has two core tasks - run an intrusive advertising campaign and establish control over the user's Web browser. 

The adware part of SearchBrowserSky's capabilities will manifest in the form of unwanted advertisements that could diminish the user experience on the device severely. Not only that, but engaging with the advertisements could expose the user to questionable third-party pages (phishing pages, scam giveaways, or even sites spreading malware threats). The address promoted via the browser hijacker part of SearchBrowserSky should be approached with similar caution. Browser hijackers are usually employed as vehicles to spread fake search engines. By taking over the homepage, new page tab, and the default search engine, they generate artificial traffic towards the sponsored address.

Users who failed to notice that SearchBrowserSky is being installed also might experience slowdown and system interruptions. The advertisements and pop-ups generated by it could start to overload the available RAM on the system causing other applications to start lagging or freezing. In addition, SearchBrowserSky also might be tracking the user's browsing activities. This is a common behavior observed in most PUPs. They collect the browser history, search history, and clicked URLs, IP address and geolocation of the device, etc. The harvested data is then uploaded to a remote server. 

The risks posed by having a PUP present on your Mac shouldn't be underestimated. It is strongly recommended to remove all such suspicious applications by using a reputable anti-malware solution.