What happens when you install the top 10 freeware apps

Read this interesting article today:

Here's What Happens When You Install the Top 10 Download.com Apps

Lesson here is to be careful and do not agree to those extra add-ons that freeware come with.

 

Here's another good one: Download me—Saying “yes” to the Web’s most dangerous search terms | Ars Technica

Image from the article:


And the following nightmare cleanup: http://arstechnica.com/information-...ants-of-the-webs-most-dangerous-search-terms/

 

I call this malware ...invasion "RISE OF THE MALWARE"...........

 

Or just don't use Download.com. That's a path nobody should go down.

 

As they try and justify all the sites are like this and it seems they are expressly excusing this for CNET downloads as not being the only site in this boat. Freeware is OK but you do have to take care, you almost need a geek anymore to keep yourself safe. My guess here is having kids can be a good thing.

 

Software bundling is such a pain these days.

That being said, the case of download.com is pretty disturbing. It's one thing to bundle Ask! and/or Chrome (YES, I am looking at you Flash Player) and the like and another to bundle outright malware.

I actually pretty much stopped using cnet to download stuff when they launched download.com. In the event that the software is only available there, I will either look for that direct download link that doesn't require you to use the download.com installer or I will like without said software if it is only available through download.com's downloader app which is the modern equivalent of a plague of Egypt!

 

I feel like I need a shower after reading thru that article.

 

I found that article amusing, as well as the Ars ones tijo linked, which I hadn't seen before. But I agree, download.com is rubbish. I can't remember when I last downloaded something from there; I tend to go directly to the developer's site as well. That doesn't guarantee it isn't shady, but at least you can do your own research first and not have things bundled in addition to whatever the usual download is.

 

This is why I tell users "NEVER" do express or quick install "Always" do "CUSTOM or Let me Choose" installs that way they know exactly what is being loaded. In this day and age people always complain how I got this malware but further probe and you find out they just did a "Express" install which gave them the malware to start with.