Key Takeaways
It happens all the time . We ’re listen our own business , quietly scanning theInternet , only to be suddenly confront with a pop music - up desperately telling us that we must download free software to prevent World War III from happen on our figurer ( or maybe from just happening in general ) . We ’re confronted with an progeny : Is this a serious warning , or is it just a company preying on our awe ? Worse , is it actually avirusor malware in disguise ?
Or here ’s another scenario . Say you ’ve been struggling to transcribe recordings from meetings and you stumbled upon some terrific transcription software system that ’s free and quick to use with a quick facility . It seems reputable , but how can you be certain ?
Here ’s the bottom agate line : Free software on the Internet can be convenient , helpful – and wholly undependable . Is there any agency to assure that the software system you ’re download is safe ?
While there ’s never a guarantee , there are a few tactics for making sure your computer is n’t a playground for digital thug . First off , you ’ll want to know what kind of software system you ’re cover with . Freewareis software that ’s entirely nonsensitive for copying and download ( but you would n’t have access code to the code , unlikeopen - source freeware ) . It can be offered by large commercial ship’s company , too : mean Microsoft ’s malware protection , which you’re able to download flat from their site . Sharewareis in reality own and exert by a companionship or individual and ordinarily requires requital after a trial menstruum . ( There are also updates and plug - ins , necessitate by something like Adobe when software is update . )
There are a lot of different software possibleness , and not all of them can easily be identified as safe . So let ’s research innocent software further to get some hints – and warning – about the freeware and shareware that might be too good to be honest .
Is it safe?
For one , be realistic . A Brobdingnagian , well - known company is not setting up its customers to download viruses and germ . If the computer software is coming from a company likeMicrosoft , it ’s credibly kick the bucket to be fine . Chances are , you ’re have it from their verbatim website and you ’ve sought it out .
Keep that in idea : Seeking out computer software is dissimilar than having a pop - up forcefully inform you that it ’s imperative you download a program ASAP . If you ’re being apprise – without any ingathering – that you could hardly live without the program flashing on your sieve , comfortably debar it .
While it sounds obvious , do your research ! If a company called " Malevoware " is enquire you to moderately please click the " accept " clitoris on their popup so you’re able to surf the web with simpleness , best you do some internet searching to see what people are saying about the company . easily yet , McAfeeSecure has a Site Advisor search that leave you to search different sites to get a safety evaluation . If you ’re think download freeware or shareware , just type in thedomainand you’re able to see how reliable it is . ( And if it is n’t , they ’ll allow you know why . )
Remember , an ounce of bar is worth a pound of cure . Before you set about downloading a destitute program , do yourself a favour and verify you have backups of your toilsome drive or important documents – a full practice in cosmopolitan .
We would be delinquent to ignore another immense , lurking issue that could come with downloading software program for free . If you ’re using BitTorrent or another course of study that shares commandeer software or files , you ’re discover yourself to enormous risk . Not only is it ( obviously ) illegal to downloadcopyrightedsoftware , but you just ca n’t practise the due diligence describe above if you ’re downloading shared filing cabinet from users with no tincture .
So is downloading loose software safe ? It can be . But forget about blindly clicking and take over when it comes to adding programs to your calculator . A footling research and a lot of caution will keep your calculator secure in the destruction .
I ’ve download a handful of free platform , and although I ’ve never had serious issue with them , I ca n’t recommend it whole - heartedly unless you ’re working with a known entity . Researching base too many disaster stories of people who unknowingly downloaded malware or virus , and the truth of the issue is that even with net search through McAfee or the like , you plainly ca n’t guarantee the safety of your programme . The most important lesson ? If you ’re going to do it , do a thorough back - up first .
