Scan the downloadable files before Downloading

When you download an executable file from the internet, there is a chance that the file contains a virus. And this occurs more often than you think.

In this post, I will discuss some of the unfortunate incidents, we will also discuss what you can do to be safe.

You can catch Ransomware

Very recently one of my close friends tried to install a desktop (and mobile) application to mirror his cell phone's screen on his laptop. He downloaded and installed an app from somewhere.

It contained a malware which deleted each and every file from his laptop and had kept .txt files on every folder in the C Drive asking for Ransome. Of course, he didn't pay the ransom and lost all the files.

Fake websites target open source software users with malware

Many fake websites disguised as official websites (by purchasing a domain that looks official) are providing the application files for download.

By looking at those websites it is very hard to decide if the site is really official.

Many popular opensource applications live in some popular websites like sourceforge.net. And when the fakers provide those apps on their website, they have SEO advantage because of the domain that sounds like the name of the app, also many people mistakenly believe that that is the official website, and download the app from there.

Normally fake websites won't earn much revenue. So they might inject some malware and make you download that.

A similar event has happened to, my most favourite desktop application, Gcreenshot.

Viruses can come with the files types you can't even believe.

.png

Yes, you heard it right. Not just executable files, malware can come with even .png files.

So, there is a lot of ways malware come in your computer. and obviously, we can't keep ourselves from downloading all the time.

So, what can we do?