This is a heads up triggered by a comment from one of my readers Linda on Nb Mary H You may or may not have heard the phrase 'Drive By Install' or 'Drive By Download'.
Its a play on the expression - 'Drive By Shooting' which is a popular way of elimination of gang members by other gangs in the United States of America. Its also geek speak for software that is unintentionally installed without your knowledge when downloading and installing wanted software.
Drive by installs are not something new, they are not always bad malware. It works like this. SuperProgs Inc have a bit of software that they give away for free. (remember no free lunch) When you choose to download the free application. There are always things like terms and conditions that you have to accept as part of the installation. SuperProgs Inc also would like you to have some of their 'time limited' (works for 14 days) software that you might be tempted to purchase later. So in the install for the wanted software there is an option usually already ticked to install other the applications.
Now there are malware applications that will try to secretly install software. Drive-by downloads may happen when visiting a website, viewing an e-mail message or by clicking on a deceptive pop-up window. Clicking on the window in the mistaken belief that, for instance, an error report from the computer' operating system itself is being acknowledged, or that an innocuous advertisement pop-up is being dismissed. In such cases, the "supplier" may claim that the user "consented" to the download, although actually the user was unaware of having started an unwanted malicious software download.
Get out of the habit of just clicking through the pop up boxes when you install software. Check what the popup window says before clicking OK or Continue.
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