New software should always be downloaded directly from the manufacturer’s own official website. Anyone who gets their programs by clicking links in advertisements or websites of other providers may be falling for fakes, a public online-security watchdog is warning.
The counterfeits will often allow viruses or trojans to access other computers, which can then intercept passwords or paralyse computers, for instance, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Technology Security (BSI) explains.
Not only Windows users, but also those using Mac devices need to beware of this threat.
According to a report by German ITC news website “Heise.de,” criminals have recently succeeded in spreading a fake version of Chrome through Google ads. Instead of the popular browser, however, the victims ended up installing malicious software on their Mac, which then tries to download additional shady software.
Although the Google ad has now disappeared from the internet, similar cases of so-called malvertising are likely to recur.
-dpa
