Summary
It’s easy to accidentally download malware when searching for an application or game, even when you think you’re being careful. There are a few ways you can make sure you download software on your computer from the original source or a trusted repository.
Hackers and malware developers have been using Google search ads topromote pages for 7-Zip, VLC Media Player, CCleaner, and other popular software. The duplicate pages often look nearly identical to the actual websites, but with downloads that can harm your computer if it’s not automatically detected as malware. The same method is also being used tocreate fake linksto Facebook, YouTube, and other sites. Security researchers have found malware beingpromoted in Bing search adsas well.
The malicious search ads are just one way hackers can trick you into installing maclicious software, on top of all the other classic methods: fake emails, ads on other web content, social media, and more.
There are many sites that host copies of popular free software, which were especially popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were helpful in the era before search engines became more prevelant, but many of them used custom installers for software that would load up your PC with extra junk. Back in 2015,we tried downloading the top 10 apps from Download.com, which installed conflicting malware/virus protection software and browser redirects.
Some popular download sites have cleaned up their act since then, while others have shut down entirely, but it’s still not a good idea to download software from anywhere other than the original source or an approved mirror. For example, if you want VLC Media Player, you should be downloading directly fromVideoLAN.orgor the project’s own listings on theGoogle Play Store,Apple App Store, or other official sources linked from that website.
Avoid Search Engine Ads
Check App Stores
Microsoft Windows has had its own app store since the Windows 8 days, now known as theMicrosoft Store, and the Mac App Store was introduced in 2011. If you need to download a popular app on your Windows PC or Mac, it might be the first place you should look.
The official app stores on Windows and macOS are generally the safest places to find and install software for your computer. Microsoft haspoliciesand automated checks designed to block malware and other malicious software from appearing in the Microsoft Store on Windows, and Apple also hasstrict requirementsabout what can be listed in its App Store.
There are definitely apps in both stores that can be regarded as spam or not useful, but actual malware is exceedingly rare. The Microsoft Store hasoccasional problems with sketchy software, but they are removed when issues are discovered, and it has definitely been cleaned up over the past few years. Most big app developers ignored the Store for its first few years of existence, but now there are official listings forAdobe Photoshop,iTunes,TikTok,VLC Media Player,Mozilla Firefox, and more.
Most desktop Linux distributions have integrated software repositories and package managers that effectively act like app stores, and there are third-party software repositories for many platforms .Homebrewis a popular software repository for macOS, primarily aimed at command-line tools and developer utilities, andChocolateyis a similar alternative for Windows. However, you have to trust that malware isn’t sneaking into those repositories.
Scan Your Downloads with VirusTotal
VirusTotalscans submitted files and links using a variety of different antivirus programs and compares the submitted file to other files on record. If you do download apps from potentially suspect places, or you just want to be extra sure, you’re able to alwaysupload the file to VirusTotal to confirm that it is safe. It isn’t a perfect option, and may not catch every piece of malware out there, but it does provide another layer of security if you want it.
It’s more important than ever to double-check where you’re downloading software. Be alert for suspect behavior. Even though we’ve come a long way, and platforms like Windows and macOS are trying to keep users safe, it’s a cat-and-mouse battle that will probably go on forever.
