Researcher Warns Of Software On Download.com

Download.com is a popular download site, but how secure is the software that is actually offered here?A researcher from How-To Geek decided the ten most popular programs from Download.com to install and startled by the result that he advises users not to repeat the experiment on their own computer. For the experiment, the programs were completely installed by default, as a typical user would do.

Download.com , which is part of CNet News, sets the policy that all downloads are offered free of adware, spyware or other malicious software. Many of the software appeared to be bundled with a variety of other programs. Via Download.com users can download the software directly, but there is also a Download.com -installer, which is much more apparent. This includes an installer that in addition to the desired program installs all sorts of other programs. It appears to include "browser hijackers" and fake "registry cleaners" to go.

Remarkably, the virus Avast is one of the first programs were installed and then some other downloads blocked because they were labeled as malicious. "Free software vendors to bundle earn almost all money through complete nonsense and scareware that mislead users to pay to clean up their PCs, regardless of the fact that you can avoid this by this" crappy "freeware nothing to install," says Lowell Heddings .

The experiment was repeated for several months and each time ended Heddings with other software on the computer. "Every software that unifies itself brings with it the same culprits: browser hijackers that hijack your search engine and home page and place ads everywhere because if the product is free, you are the real product.."