SearchThatNow

In today's digital environment, Web browsers are essential tools for nearly everything we do online. But with that convenience comes risk—especially from deceptive browser hijackers like SearchThatNow. This threat disguises itself as a helpful extension, offering a shortcut to your most recent Web searches. In reality, it forcefully takes over key browser settings, manipulates your online activity and puts your privacy at risk.

What is SearchThatNow?

SearchThatNow is a browser hijacker delivered as a Chrome extension that claims to enhance user convenience by offering access to the last ten Web searches. Instead of making your browsing smoother, it secretly alters critical settings in your browser—including your homepage, default search engine and new tab page—redirecting all searches through a questionable URL, mwsrc4you.com.

This redirection is not just annoying—it is intentional. By forcing users to go through a third-party search engine, the cybercriminals behind the hijacker can collect user data, show advertisements and potentially inject unsafe content.

How It Spreads

SearchThatNow typically doesn't spread through reputable browser extension stores. Instead, it relies on deceptive and aggressive distribution tactics:

• Bundled Software Installers: These are often bundled with free applications or cracked software from unofficial sites. Users who install without checking optional offers may add the extension without realizing it.
• Deceptive Pop-Up Advertisements: Fake system alerts or enticing offers displayed on shady websites can lead users to install the hijacker under the guise of a helpful tool.

These methods exploit user trust and haste, enabling the hijacker to embed itself deeply into browser configurations.

Symptoms and Damage

Once installed, SearchThatNow immediately takes control of your browsing experience:

• Modified Browser Settings: Your homepage, new tab URL, and default search engine are all switched to mwsrc4you.com, a site hosted at the IP address 65.8.243.78.
• Persistent Redirections: Even if you try to change settings back, the hijacker often reverts them, forcing you to use their low-quality search engine.
• Ad Injection and Tracking: The hijacker tracks your search behavior and displays additional advertisements, which may lead to fraudulent or phishing websites.
• Privacy Risks: Collected data can be shared or sold to third parties, putting personal and sensitive information at risk.

Though not as destructive as ransomware, the long-term privacy violations and potential exposure to malware make this hijacker a serious threat.

How to Protect Yourself: Security Best Practices

Preventing and removing browser hijackers like SearchThatNow involves smart habits and the right tools. Here are key practices to follow:

1. Safe Usage Habits

• Download Only from Trusted Sources: Avoid freeware sites, torrent platforms and unauthorized app stores.
• Read Install Prompts Carefully: Choose custom installations to see what's being added. Decline any unrelated extensions or software.
• Ignore Pop-Up Advertisements and Fake Alerts: Don't click on suspicious pop-ups offering browser tools or system fixes.
• Check Extension Permissions: Always review what data access a new extension is requesting before approving it.

2. Strengthen Your System Defenses

• Use a Reliable Anti-Malware Program: Set it to perform regular scans and flag potentially unwanted programs.
• Review Installed Extensions and Applications Regularly: Remove anything unfamiliar or unneeded—especially if it modifies your browser settings.
• Enable Browser Protections: Many modern browsers have built-in features that warn about unwanted changes to settings.
• Keep Software Updated: Whether it's your browser, OS, or security tools, updates often patch vulnerabilities hijackers exploit.

Final Thoughts

SearchThatNow may look like a small browser tool, but its impact on your online security and privacy is anything but minor. By hijacking your browser, it controls how and where you search and opens the door to more intrusive threats. Staying vigilant with what you install—and where you install it from—is your best defense.