Be Wary When Downloading Files on the Internet

The Internet has definitely revolutionized the way files are being shared or transferred. Gone are the days when you have to rely on FedEx or DHL to send important files or programs to another person who’s residing on a different continent.

While the process has indeed become much simpler and easier, it has also become less secured. File repositories don’t usually check the data that are being sent to them for storage. The task of ensuring that they are clean, then, falls upon those who will be downloading them.

Don’t just download anything on the Web even if the link or file comes from a trusted friend. Who knows, that friend of yours might have gotten the file from somebody who has 10 for an IQ on PC security, or worse, has an IQ 150 for malware dissemination. Always scan the files or programs that you hoard from the Net. If the program that you’ve downloaded doesn’t do anything when you click on its icon but your hard drive lamp is flickering like crazy, then that’s a sign that something fishy is going on. Conduct a full system scan right away.

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Posted by Ruel on July 18th, 2008 .
Filed under: PC Security, Cartoon of the Week, Internet | No Comments »