The company IAC Applications, formerly known as Mindspark is making a return with the release of EasyWeatherAlert Toolbar, a malicious toolbar that we have classified as a potentially unwanted program. There is a lot going on with this toolbar as it features a search engine that hijacks a browser’s homepage and new tab page settings. Hence, this application is designed to make you use it to perform searches online. And, its search results can feature questionable and unsafe links that you ought to avoid. And, so, we recommend that you remove it, but if you want to find out more about it, please read this article.
Mindspark or IAC Applications, as it is now known, is an infamous developer known to release malicious applications, browser hijackers and malicious browser extensions such as toolbars. Previously, this company released OnlineMapFinder Toolbar, CrunchTravel, StrataBeauty, and many other malicious applications that can compromise your computer’s security and your privacy. Therefore, you must not trust this developer as it uses its software to show promotional links and advertisements while you browse the web and it does not shy away from hijacking your browser and modifying its settings to do that.
As far as EasyWeatherAlert Toolbar’s distribution methods are concerned, we found that you can get it from its distribution website at Easyweatheralert.com. This site claims that this toolbar will inform you about your local weather. However, this is just a front, and its real purpose is to modify your web browser. This extension is compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Also, the version of this extension for Chrome can be found on the Chrome Web Store. However, these two are legitimate distribution channels, but have received reports that this extension may come bundled with software installers that inject it into your PC and web browser without your knowledge or authorization. Hence, EasyWeatherAlert Toolbar can also be distributed using malicious methods.
Regardless of whether you install this browser extension intentionally or not, once it is not your computer, it will modify your web browser’s settings and replace its homepage and new tab page with a customized Hp.myway.com search engine. In actuality, this search engine uses Google’s custom search, so it is set to present Google’s search results. However, there is a twist. The search results you have been modified by Mindspark to accommodate additional promotional links that may come from unknown and, thus, unreliable sources. Indeed, some of the links may be malicious and redirect you to infected websites that feature exploits that download malware. However, it is the worst case scenario while in most cases it should promote sites that feature adware and potentially unwanted programs and websites that feature more advertisements.
As far as privacy is concerned, we want to inform you that Hp.myway.com can use cookies to collect and store information when you interact with Mindspark’s services. According to this search engine’s Privacy Policy, it is set to collect information that includes but is not limited to “your IP address, your browser type and language and other browser-related information, a time-stamp, the keyword query, search query text, search results clicked, pages viewed, search history,” and so on. It can also collect personal information about you but only on a voluntary basis. Basically, any useful information you provide about yourself when contacting Mindspark. The collected information is used to show you more relevant advertisements that are in accordance with your browsing preferences.
Before concluding this article, we want to point out that when you uninstall EasyWeatherAlert Toolbar via Control Panel, the uninstaller removes it from Internet Explorer only, so you need to remove the extension for Chrome and Firefox via their respective extension managers. Also, if you have difficulties, then you can delete the extension’s files manually.
As you can see, EasyWeatherAlert Toolbar is no legitimate browser extension and is prone to subject you to shady content presented in the search results of its featured search engine. Regardless of whether you got this extension intentionally or not, we highly recommend that you get rid of it because it does nothing to improve your computing experience and will only jeopardize your computer’s security. So, we invite you to delete it using the guide you can find below.
Windows XP
Windows Vista and Windows 7
Windows 8/8.1/10
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome