Categories: Security

3 Ways to Protect Yourself From Malvertising

When you see an ad on a website you trust, you may feel confident that it’s safe to click. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. “Malvertising” (malicious advertising) can spread malware to unsuspecting website visitors. Even though high-end websites strive to prevent this unfortunate situation, the fact remains that not all ads are safe.

The problem is not always with the ads themselves. For instance, someone may try to download a program but then click the wrong link. This malicious link then brings them to a virus that carries out the attack. Websites, browsers, and plugins are attacked on a daily basis. Whether you’re shopping, doing research, reading the news, or just surfing the web, it is important to take some crucial steps to protect yourself.

Enable Click to Play

Enable the plugin to choose when and what you want the plugin to play. Most of the malvertising out there uses these plugins to play the content and then download it to your computer. When you choose to do this manually, you can protect yourself from many viruses.

Do a Full Virus Scan

When you perform a full virus scan through a high-quality secure malware and virus detection software, you can recognize and remove the virus that might be on your computer. These programs can also locate and warn you of any programs that might be lurking within the web browser or other areas. PSafe has a strong antivirus app for this.

Keep Your Web Browser Up to Date

Make sure that your web browser is not outdated. An up-to-date browser ensures that any suspicious links are scanned and then can be removed if necessary. This protects you if you tend to be tempted to click on questionable links. They can also remove any previous malware that might have popped up on older versions that did not have the right protection.

Malvertising is found throughout many places on the web. You don’t want these links to cause you further harm than they have too. Thankfully, a few simple safeguards can help protect your personal information and your privacy.

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The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.