Are you tired of the constant “pop-ups” on your computer every time you try to surf the web? I know I am! These pop-ups bring advertising that usually has nothing to do with the website and often tries to convince the viewer that they need some type of security software by claiming that the system is infected. Worse yet are the pop-ups that have adult content or offensive ads that are not appropriate for younger viewers. But aside from being annoying and sometimes inappropriate, are they dangerous? Could these seemingly innocuous ads harm your computer? Let’s take a closer look.
According to the website The Insider, 50 percent of all ads are closed before they have even finished loading, and whilst this study was only based on a survey of 36 people, the over 10-million users of pop-up blocking extensions on Chrome says something about the popularity of these sometimes unwelcome website visitors. Over the years computer users have become accustomed to the occasional pop-up ad and have learned to either use blockers or ignore the ad altogether. Most pop-ups are harmless forms of advertising, but there have been pop-ups that are more sinister than the typical marketing ploy.
Safety When Dealing with Pop Ups
- A general rule of thumb when dealing with pop-up ads is to not click on it if you don’t know the site or don’t fully understand the ramifications of activating the pop-up.
- Clicking on an ad of this nature could redirect the user to another website that could be infected or geared to steal your personal information.
- Some pop-ups are said to have malware embedded on the code of the ad. So be sure not to click unless you trust the source.
- In addition, never reveal your email, name, personal I.D., or sensitive personal or financial information.
- Do not fall victim to the Scareware pop-ups that want you to pay for a fake anti-virus software, drive-by download pop-ups, or pop-ups which install malware when you close them.
For those of us who live on the internet, whether it is for shopping, researching, or working, the best practice is to keep to well known sites like Google, Bing, Yahoo and other big-name blogs/sites/etc. then the likelihood of you getting propositioned by a malicious pop-up is small.
Categorised in: internet issues, IT Consulting Services, software