Total Security Software- Reduce the Risk of Downloading Malware While Browsing

 Total Security Software- Reduce the Risk of Downloading Malware While Browsing

If you are afraid of downloading malware without realizing it, we explain how you can reduce the risk of doing so while browsing the Internet. The types of malware that exist are spyware, which is used to spy on the user; adware, which integrates advertising in an invasive way; virus, the generic name we give to any malicious software that enters the computer; and a worm, which reproduces itself and functions as a method of transporting the information.

All of these are malware and they are all malicious programs, they do more or less harm to the user in different ways and anyone can invade your PC while browsing the Internet when you download a file or open an email without realizing it, and this ease of entry makes them quite dangerous. However, by taking certain precautions, they can be avoided.

What is the Source of the File You Downloaded?

Sometimes we want to download software and we do not realize that we have clicked on a link that was not correct. To avoid this, rule number one is to download the program from the original source. For example, let's say you want to download the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. In this case, you can do a Google search and check what the results are. Most likely, you will see advertisements, Mozilla's official website, and some other sites with download repositories. The best thing is to go to the official website, which would be Mozilla.org because it is the company that runs Firefox.

Identifying the official page is not easy all the time, especially when it comes to a less known program than Firefox. This is when you have to check more carefully the sites that appear in the results, check the entire web, see what they say on their official social networks (if they have them), or check the whois of the domain. This will take longer but will pay off, in the long run, to avoid getting infected by some dangerous malware. Avoid downloading applications as much as possible from pages where everything is offered "for free" and where lots of programs are listed and you see excessive advertising, it is never good news.

Check With an Cloud Antivirus

All executable files you download can be checked using an antivirus that has an updated database. You can do this online, without having to install anything first, neither the application nor the antivirus. Find the direct link to the file you want to download and paste it into  VirusTotal. This site uses the databases of more than 50 antiviruses, and it is quite efficient.

Find Out Which Web Pages Are Trustworthy

Another good option is to have a browser extension that tells you when a website is reliable and when it is not. The best way to find out is with Web of Trust (WOT), an extension for Chrome that shows you the reputation of a site through ratings based on the colors of a traffic light: if it is green, it is completely trustworthy, yellow means proceed carefully and red means it should be avoided entirely.

Be Cautious

• If you have updates to install on your computer, do so as soon as possible. They are usually to eliminate vulnerabilities and keep you safe.
• Use TOTAL SECURITY, especially if you think you could easily "catch" malware. In this way, every time you download something, the program will tell you if it is a reliable file or not.
• Use more security in the browser with extensions like HTTPS everywhere.
• Do not open emails from unknown senders or who offer free or suspicious things, much less download the attachments they send or click on the links they contain.