How To Remove SkilledControl Adware From Mac OS

Proper Guide To Delete SkilledControl

SkilledControl is a notorious component listed under adware category. This potentially unwanted program is another creation of an untrusted company which in known for developing a number of adware. It is usually promoted as a useful tool that provides special features and enhances Mac users’ Online experience. However, in reality it doesn’t deliver any useful or helpful feature as it claims or describes in its homepage. Therefore, you should never believe on the claims and appearance of this nasty PUP. This hazardous threat has been specially designed by a team of potent cyber crooks with their sole motive to promote third-party products, services and websites and make quick Online revenues.

More About SkilledControl:

SkilledControl also includes characteristics of a browser hijacker and makes several unexpected changes in default browser’s settings without even asking for users’ approval. It replaces the current home page, search engine and new tab addresses with its own perilous domain and grabs full control over the entire browser. Though, it claims to offer most relevant, authentic and fast search results. But, results delivered by this bogus search tool are often mixed with commercial contents and other forms of advertisements which include paid links and redirect you to affiliated sites where several sponsored stuffs are promoted. With each redirection, this perilous adware makes commission for the developers.

SkilledControl bombards your computer screen with thousands of intrusive ads and pop-ups all over the day and makes it very difficult for you to surf the Internet efficiently like before. We highly advise to avoid interacting with these adverts as they might include vicious links and lead you to phishing, scamming or even malware-laden sites that are fully occupied with malevolent objects. Due to visiting on such infectious web pages, you may end up with getting more notorious parasites in the work-station. This nasty PUP keeps contributing evil activities in the background all the time which consumes huge amount of memory resources and drags down the overall computer performance severely. Due to this, system begins responding in a very slow manner and takes more than usual time to complete any task. And hence, you must get rid of SkilledControl adware from the device as early as possible.

Beware While Installing a Third-party Application:

There are multiple deceptive methods through which such kind of potentially undesired apps infiltrate the targeted systems. But, the most common way is through freeware and shareware. When third-party authors share software and multiple additional products for free, Cyber criminals can misuse them and insert their infectious content right inside these software packages.

How To Prevent PUP Intrusion?

The way to prevent the installation of unwanted additional component is by making sure the right configuration mode has been selected. Keep in mind that you should avoid all downloading/installing modes that say “Quick” or “Recommended”. For safe and efficient downloading, you should always choose “Advanced” or “Custom” settings that give you full control over the incoming contents. You just have to untick the components that look suspicious and choose only the main program.

Summarize Information

Name: SkilledControl

Type: Mac virus, Adware, Potentially unwanted program

Functionality: Aims to redirect people to affiliated websites, promote sponsored products, services and programs and make Online revenues for the developers, Also steal users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Endless intrusive ads, Altered default browser’s settings, default Internet search engine, Fake pop-up messages, identity theft, new tab settings. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your computer with a powerful anti-malware tool.

Other Common Symptoms of SkilledControl:

SkilledControl can be also responsible for the intrusion of many other Online threats such as Trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware etc. on your computer as well since it has ability to deactivate all the running security measures and open backdoors for them. It regularly spies on your Online activities and steals your personal and confidential data such as user IDs, passwords, credit card and debit card number, bank account and other financial details. It shares that information with vicious hackers who can misuse them for generating illicit revenues and cause you to suffer a big financial loss. And therefore, you are strongly recommended to remove SkilledControl from the computer immediately before it causes more damages to your system.

Remove Files and Folders Related to SkilledControl

Open the “Menu” bar and click the “Finder” icon. Select “Go” and click on “Go to Folder…”

Step 1: Search the suspicious and doubtful malware generated files in /Library/LaunchAgents folder

Type /Library/LaunchAgents in the “Go to Folder” option

In the “Launch Agent” folder, search for all the files that you have recently downloaded and move them to “Trash”. Few of the examples of files created by browser-hijacker or adware are as follow, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.Itvbit.plist”, installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, and “kuklorest.update.plist” and so on.

Step 2: Detect and remove the files generated by the adware in “/Library/Application” Support folder

In the “Go to Folder..bar”, type “/Library/Application Support”

Search for any suspicious newly added folders in “Application Support” folder. If you detect any one of these like “NicePlayer” or “MPlayerX” then send them to “Trash” folder.

Step 3: Look for the files generated by malware in /Library/LaunchAgent Folder:

Go to Folder bar and type /Library/LaunchAgents

You are in the “LaunchAgents” folder. Here, you have to search for all the newly added files and move them to “Trash” if you find them suspicious. Some of the examples of suspicious files generated by malware are “myppes.download.plist”, “installmac.AppRemoved.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist” and so on.

Step4: Go to /Library/LaunchDaemons Folder and search for the files created by malware

Type /Library/LaunchDaemons in the “Go To Folder” option

In the newly opened “LaunchDaemons” folder, search for any recently added suspicious files and move them to “Trash”. Examples of some of the suspicious files are “com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preference.plist”, “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist” and so on.

Step 5: Use Combo Cleaner Anti-Malware and Scan your Mac PC

The malware infections could be removed from the Mac PC if you execute all the steps mentioned above in the correct way. However, it is always advised to be sure that your PC is not infected. It is suggested to scan the work-station with “Combo Cleaner Anti-virus”.

Once the file gets downloaded, double click on combocleaner.dmg installer in the newly opened window. Next is to open the “Launchpad” and press on “Combo Cleaner” icon. It is advised to wait until “Combo Cleaner” updates the latest definition for malware detection. Click on “Start Combo Scan” button.

A depth scan of your Mac PC will be executed in order to detect malware. If the Anti-virus scan report says “no threat found” then you can continue with guide further. On the other hand, it is recommended to delete the detected malware infection before continuing.

Now the files and folders created by the adware is removed, you have to remove the rogue extensions from the browsers.

Remove SkilledControl from Internet Browsers

Delete Doubtful and Malicious Extension from Safari

Go to “Menu Bar” and open “Safari” browser. Select “Safari” and then “Preferences”

In the opened “preferences” window, select “Extensions” that you have recently installed. All such extensions should be detected and click the “Uninstall” button next to it. If you are doubtful then you can remove all the extensions from “Safari” browser as none of them are important for smooth functionality of the browser.

In case if you continue facing unwanted webpage redirections or aggressive advertisements bombarding, you can reset the “Safari” browser.

“Reset Safari”

Open the Safari menu and choose “preferences…” from the drop-down menu.

Go to the “Extension” tab and set the extension slider to “Off” position. This disables all the installed extensions in the Safari browser

Next step is to check the homepage. Go to “Preferences…” option and choose “General” tab. Change the homepage to your preferred URL.

Also check the default search-engine provider settings. Go to “Preferences…” window and select the “Search” tab and select the search-engine provider that you want such as “Google”.

Next is to clear the Safari browser Cache- Go to “Preferences…” window and select “Advanced” tab and click on “Show develop menu in the menu bar.“

Go to “Develop” menu and select “Empty Caches”.

Remove website data and browsing history. Go to “Safari” menu and select “Clear History and Website Data”. Choose “all history” and then click on “Clear History”.

Remove Unwanted and Malicious Plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox

Delete SkilledControl add-ons from Mozilla Firefox

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser. Click on the “Open Menu” present in the top right corner of the screen. From the newly opened menu, choose “Add-ons”.

Go to “Extension” option and detect all the latest installed add-ons. Select each of the suspicious add-ons and click on “Remove” button next to them.

In case if you want to “reset” the Mozilla Firefox browser then follow the steps that has been mentioned below.

Reset Mozilla Firefox Settings

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser and click on “Firefox” button situated at the top left corner of the screen.

In the new menu, go to “Help” sub-menu and choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the “Troubleshooting Information” page, click on “Reset Firefox” button.

Confirm that you want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to default by pressing on “Reset Firefox” option

The browser will get restarted and the settings changes to factory default

Delete Unwanted and Malicious Extensions from Google Chrome

Open the chrome browser and click on “Chrome menu”. From the drop down option, choose “More Tools” and then “Extensions”.

In the “Extensions” option, search for all the recently installed add-ons and extensions. Select them and choose “Trash” button. Any third-party extension is not important for the smooth functionality of the browser.

Reset Google Chrome Settings

Open the browser and click on three line bar at the top right side corner of the window.

Go to the bottom of the newly opened window and select “Show advanced settings”.

In the newly opened window, scroll down to the bottom and choose “Reset browser settings”

Click on the “Reset” button on the opened “Reset browser settings” window

Restart the browser and the changes you get will be applied

The above mentioned manual process should be executed as it is mentioned. It is a cumbersome process and requires a lot of technical expertise. And hence it is advised for technical experts only. To be sure that your PC is free from malware, it is better that you scan the work-station with a powerful anti-malware tool. The automatic malware removal application is preferred because it doesn’t requires any additional technical skills and expertise.

Download the application and execute it on the PC to begin the depth scanning. Once the scanning gets completed, it shows the list of all the files related to SkilledControl. You can select such harmful files and folders and remove them immediately.