The 5 Tips To Safely Download And Install Software Without Risking Your Online Security

When it comes to online security and privacy, you have to understand that most threats that might bring any risk of danger to your device usually come from your online browsing activity. Yes, most threats such as viruses and malware that might infect your system usually come from the programs that you install online. This is why it is recommended that you understand completely about the programs that you are about to install before it causes you any trouble later. Also, most malicious programs is getting installed in your system without your knowledge, and they might come from various malicious websites online.

In order to keep your online privacy and security in check, you have to be vigilant in whatever you do online. This includes being aware of the links that you click online, the applications that you download, the websites that you visit, the security status of each website that you visit, and so on. Without being aware of your own online activity, you might encounter some threats that are dangerous for your online privacy without your knowledge, which can bring really bad consequences for you. Here are the 5 tips to download and install software without risking your online security:

1. Only Download Software From The Official Website Of The Vendor/Publisher

There are lots of third party websites that provide you with software installers. The way these websites operates is that they list all the software available on each platform from multiple categories. They will provide you with the download link to the application installers through various mirrors. These websites, while you can use it as a kind of shortcut to find any program that you need, are not recommended for you to use. This is because most of the installers have been embedded with various types of ads that install additional programs to your system if you don’t follow the installation steps carefully. This is why it is always recommended for you to download the software that you need only from the official website of the vendor or publisher.

2. Always Delete Any Software That Is Downloaded To Your Device Automatically

This is often happens when you visit malicious websites on the internet. These websites will usually send their malicious programs directly to your machine the moment you visit the website. You will see it in the browser download page. Whenever you visit such websites, it downloads the software automatically without your permission, and the program is almost always a malicious type. You might accidentally come across these malicious websites when you click on random links online, which bring you some pop up ads as well. When this happens, always delete the application that is downloaded automatically to your device without giving it the opportunity to get installed on you device.

3. Don’t Download Any Type Of Cracked Or Hacked Programs

You might need a program that costs you hundreds of dollars, but instead of paying for the software price, you might want to download it illegally. Thus, you will try to find some websites that provide illegal download for the software along with the crack or hack for it in order to bypass the software license. Here’s the thing. First of all, it is called piracy, and it is illegal. Second, a program that includes any type of crack or hack is almost certainly a malicious program. When you run it, you are risking your device into installing malicious codes into your system. In turn, these codes can be very dangerous for your online security and privacy, since it tends to disturb your system and send malicious commands to it. So, it’s better for you to stay away from such type of software.

4. Follow The Installation Steps Very Carefully

When you download a software installer even from the official website, don’t just mindlessly click next, next, and next. You have to follow the installation steps very carefully because a bad software vendor might embed malware or adware into their installer. If you just mindlessly click next, next, and next, it means that you agree to install such malware along with the program. So, be aware of what you are doing when installing your application. Be sure to tick off any option that lets you install any additional programs that you don’t need or want.

5. Don’t Install Any Additional Software That Is Embedded In The Software Installation

Any additional program that gets installed along with your software installation might likely be adware or any other types of malware. These additional applications might include add-ons, toolbars, or even antivirus software. If it’s not the main software that you install, then you should turn off the installation option for the additional software. This is because there are many cases where the user’s security and privacy are getting compromised because of installing these unknown programs bundled with the main software that they have downloaded to their device.

Those are the 5 tips to download and install software without risking your online security. It’s always better to do some research before you decide to use a certain software because most likely there will be a recommended suggestion by the users for such type of software. If you install an unknown software, you are risking your own online security and privacy if you are not careful about it.