How to remove fake “Online Security” extension

What is Online Security

Online Security malicious extension is a fraudulent browser add-on that mimics a legitimate security tool but is designed to compromise user privacy and system security. This rogue extension primarily targets popular web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Once installed, it can manage other browser apps, extensions, and themes, effectively altering the browser’s appearance and functionality. The extension uses the “Managed by your organization” feature in Google Chrome to gain deeper control and ensure persistence. Its primary goal includes tracking user data such as visited URLs, viewed web pages, search queries, internet cookies, login credentials, and even financial information. The collected data can be sold to third parties or used for other malicious activities, leading to potential system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. It is often distributed through deceptive websites, malicious installers, and bundled software, making cautious browsing and downloading practices essential to avoid its installation.

How Online Security infects computers

The fake “Online Security” Chrome extension often infects computers through deceptive tactics and bundling methods. Users may inadvertently download this malicious extension from dubious websites, believing it to be a legitimate security tool. These sites utilize rogue advertising networks, misleading pop-up ads, and free software installers that bundle multiple unwanted programs together. Once installed, the extension may exploit browser vulnerabilities using the “Managed by your organization” feature, gaining extensive control over the browser to ensure persistence. In addition to altering browser settings and behavior, the extension tracks user data, including browsing history, search queries, and personal information, which can be sold or misused. Consequently, users face increased privacy risks, potential system infections, and the possibility of financial and identity theft.

1. Download Online Security Removal Tool
2. Remove Online Security from Control Panel and Applications
3. Remove Online Security extensions from browsers
4. Reset browser search and homepage settings
5. Alternative way to remove Online Security search redirects
6. Clean browser shortcuts from Online Security
7. How to protect from threats like Online Security

Remove Online Security manually for free

Here is a manual step-by-step tutorial for full Online Security removal from your computer. This works 99% and was checked with the latest versions of the Online Security an installer on operating systems with the latest updates and browser versions.

Note: Online Security can be installed as Google Chrome extension as Administrator (you may see Installed by enterprise policy or Your browser is managed by your organization inscription near it), and this will not allow removal. Therefore, before starting removal process, perform these actions:

1. Start the Command Prompt by clicking the Start menu button and typing command prompt (or just searching for “command prompt” in Windows 10 search field). Right click on the Command Prompt result and choose Run as Administrator.



2. Type in and execute the following commands:

   
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"
gpupdate /force

Remove Online Security from Control Panel or Applications

To start removing Online Security you should uninstall it using Control Panel. It can be present by different names – “Online Security”. It should uninstall correctly, however, we recommend you to use IObit Uninstaller to clean leftover items after uninstalling. Here are instructions for Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, or Mac.

Remove Online Security from Windows XP:

1. Click on Start button.
2. Choose Control Panel.
3. Click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Find Online Security-related or other suspicious program.
5. Click Uninstall.

Remove Online Security from Windows 7:

1. Click Start button.
2. Then go to Control Panel.
3. Click Uninstall a Program.
4. Find Online Security-related or other suspicious program and click Uninstall.

Remove Online Security from Windows 8:

1. Hover mouse pointer to the bottom-right corner to see Menu.
2. Click Search.
3. After that click Apps.
4. Then Control Panel.
5. Click Uninstall a Program under Programs.
6. Find Online Security-related or other suspicious program, click Uninstall.

Remove Online Security from Windows 10:

There are 2 ways to uninstall Online Security from Windows 10

Way one

1. Click on the Start button.
2. In opened menu choose Settings.
3. Click on the System tile.
4. Click Apps & features and locate Online Security-related or other suspicious program in the list.
5. Click on it and then click Uninstall button near it.

Way two (classic)

1. Right-click on the Start button.
2. In opened menu choose Programs and Features.
3. Locate Online Security-related or other suspicious program in the list.
4. Click on it and then click Uninstall button above.

Remove Online Security from Windows 11:

1. Right-click on the Start button.
2. In opened menu choose Settings.
3. Click on the Apps tab on the left side.
4. Click Apps & features and locate Online Security-related or other recently installed suspicious program in the list.
5. Click on 3-dots icon near it and then click Uninstall button near it.
6. Depending on the type of application (Windows Store app or classic Win32 app) it will be removed immediately or you will need to confirm the action and go through standard uninstall procedure.

Remove Online Security from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. Online Security might have an Uninstaller.
3. Otherwise, drag Online Security from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Cannot uninstall Online Security in Windows

In some cases, Online Security won’t uninstall and gives you the message, that “You do not have sufficient access to uninstall Online Security. Please, contact your system administrator” when you try to remove it from Control Panel or “Access denied” error when removing the Online Security folder and files. This happens because the process or service does not allow you to do it. In this case, I will recommend you to use SpyHunter 5 or Malwarebytes or uninstall Online Security in Safe Mode. To boot in Safe Mode do the following:

1. Reboot your computer.
2. While it starts booting press F8 button.
3. This will open Advanced Boot Options menu.
4. Choose Safe Mode and wait until Windows loads.
5. Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a program and remove Online Security or other suspicious program

>> See detailed instructions and video tutorial on how to boot in Safe Mode

Cannot uninstall Online Security in MacOS

If you can’t uninstall Online Security using instructions above, or it keeps coming back, you can use free AppCleaner for Mac to remove all residual data and libraries of Online Security. Follow instructions below:

1. Download free AppCleaner.
2. Drag Online Security from Applications folder to AppCleaner window.
3. Choose files and folders you want to remove along with Online Security.
4. Click Delete button.

Remove malicious add-ons from your browsers

Uninstalling Online Security from Control Panel or Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It sometimes has a browser extension and it may still be active in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove Online Security extension from your browsers manually.

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://extensions.
3. Find Online Security extension.
4. Click the Remove button to remove them.
5. Also remove other suspicious extensions from the list.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:addons.
3. Find Online Security extension.
4. Click three-dots icon near it and choose Remove in the menu.
5. In opened dialog window click Remove button to confirm the action.
6. Remove all suspicious extensions from the list.

Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Click Extensions tab.
3. Find Online Security extension.
4. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Start Microsoft Edge browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) edge://extensions.
3. Find Online Security extension.
4. Click Remove link under the name of extension.
5. In opened dialog window click Remove button to confirm the action.
6. Remove all suspicious extensions from the list.

Internet Explorer (9, 10, 11):

Note: There is no feature to remove browser extensions from browser in latest version of Internet Explorer. To remove Online Security from Internet Explorer, please, perform instructions for uninstalling program from Control Panel. To disable Online Security, please, do the following:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click on gear/asterisk icon in the top-right corner.
3. In opened menu Manage Add-ons.
4. Select Toolbars and Extensions.
5. Click Disable Online Security or other suspicious extensions.
6. Also disable other suspicious extensions from the list.

Opera Browser:

Generally, Online Security does not install in Opera browser however you can always double check. Do the following:

1. Start Opera browser.
2. Go to Tools > Extensions > Manage Extensions.
3. Find Online Security or other suspicious extensions.
4. Click Uninstall button.
5. Also remove other suspicious extensions from the list.

Reset browsers settings (homepage, default search)

Online Security installs a search engine, that hijacks your browsers. Here is the instruction to reset your browser’s homepage, new tab, and search engine to default values.

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://settings.
3. On the left panel expand Advanced options.
4. Choose Reset and clean up.
5. Click on Restore settings to their original defaults link and confirm by clicking Reset button.

Google Chrome > Settings > Advanced

Reset and clean up

Reset Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:support.
3. Click Refresh Firefox… button.
4. Click Refresh Firefox button in opened dialog window to confirm.

Reset Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Go to the Privacy section of Safari’s preferences.
3. Click Remove All Website Data button.
4. In opened window click Remove Now button to remove data stored by websites in Safari.
5. Go to the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.
6. Click the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
7. In the menu click Develop and select Empty Caches from this menu.
8. Again, go to Safari menu and choose Clear History….
9. Choose to clear all history and click Clear History button.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Start Microsoft Edge browser
2. Click on 3-dots icon in the top-right corner and choose Settings.
3. On the left panel find and click Reset settings option.
4. Click on Restore settings to their default values link and confirm by clicking Reset button.

Internet Explorer (9, 10, 11):

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Click on gear/asterisk icon in the top-right corner.
3. In opened menu choose Internet options.
4. Click Advanced tab.
5. Click Reset button.
6. Choose Delete personal settings and click Reset.

Opera Browser:

1. Start Opera browser and click on Opera icon in the top-left corner.
2. Choose Settings and click Advanced on the left side and choose Browser.
3. Scroll down to the very bottom and click on Restore settings to their original defaults link.
4. Confirm by clicking Reset button.

How to block ads and pop-ups, promoting Online Security


AdGuard main window

AdGuard general settings

AdGuard browser assistant

Online Security, in most cases, is promoted by ads and pop-ups on doubtful websites. These sites can redirect users’ browsers to Online Security ads, generating advertising revenue for the attackers. The malware is often offered through these ads, leaving users puzzled about the origin of the software. In some cases, users may unknowingly install the Online Security extension, which then injects advertisements into the websites they visit and redirects their search queries. Additionally, the malware can be distributed through other channels such as peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, misleading ads, and compromised or shady websites that trigger automatic downloads To protect your PC and browsers from phishing websites, pop-up ads, banners, malicious scripts it is recommended to use AdGuard. Download free trial here:

Download AdGuard for Windows

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect from threats, like Online Security, in future


SpyHunter 5 Dashboard

SpyHunter 5 Results

SpyHunter 5 System Guard

Be careful surfing the internet and downloading software, as programs like Online Security may become a real headache as they are hard to remove and break your privacy. To keep safe from such threats we recommend you always use antivirus and one of the anti-malware programs available on the market. One of the best anti-virus programs is SpyHunter 5. It can protect your PC from threats like Online Security.

Download SpyHunter for Windows

Download SpyHunter for Mac