SwiftSearch
Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are assessment reports for different malware threats which have been collected and analyzed by our research team. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards evaluate and rank threats using several metrics including real-world and potential risk factors, trends, frequency, prevalence, and persistence. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are updated regularly based on our research data and metrics and are useful for a wide range of computer users, from end users seeking solutions to remove malware from their systems to security experts analyzing threats.
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards display a variety of useful information, including:
Ranking: The ranking of a particular threat in EnigmaSoft’s Threat Database.
Severity Level: The determined severity level of an object, represented numerically, based on our risk modeling process and research, as explained in our Threat Assessment Criteria.
Infected Computers: The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular threat detected on infected computers as reported by SpyHunter.
See also Threat Assessment Criteria.
| Ranking: | 12,319 |
| Threat Level: | 50 % (Medium) |
| Infected Computers: | 233 |
| First Seen: | January 25, 2019 |
| Last Seen: | September 19, 2023 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
Users are likely to encounter the SwiftSearch browser extension while visiting questionable websites. The app could be presented as an useful addition that will add convenient capabilities to their browsers. Unfortunately, upon being installed on the system, SwitfSearch will quickly show that its primary function is that of a browser hijacker. Indeed, users will soon start noticing that their browsers are redirecting to an unfamiliar website - swiftsearch.com. As is typically the case, the page promoted by the browser hijacker is a fake search engine that lacks the ability to deliver search results by itself.
While SwiftSearch is present on the device, it will exert control over the browser's homepage, new tab page, and default search engine. Furthermore, the intrusive PUP could establish persistence mechanisms on the user's device to ensure that its influence will not be easily removed. As for the promoted page, it will take the initiated search queries and further redirect them to additional search engines. Swiftsearch.com has been observed to cause such redirects leading to the legitimate Google and Bing search engines. However, this may not always be the case as users with certain IP addresses or geolocation could be shown results taken from dubious or questionable sources.
Another invasive characteristic of most PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) such as SwitfSearch is that they try to extract various information from users' devices. These apps typically go after the browsing and search histories, clicked URLs, device details, etc. In some of the riskier cases, the PUPs could even try to extract details from the browser's autofill data such as account credentials or banking details.
