Don’t Download Apps From Shady Sites

The internet is a massive place, and sometimes feels like it contains just about anything you could think of. If you want to download an app on your PC, for example, you may search for it on Google, see the link at the top of the results, and click it to install your program. That isn’t necessarily the most secure method to follow, however.

There are two issues at play here: On the one hand, you have websites that purport to offer the app for free, when the app’s developer would make you pay for it. Perhaps they do, and if one downloads the app to their PC, they’d be able to use it without issue. Of course, piracy itself is wrong, but the other side of the coin is this is inherently unsafe. Sites and services offering other companies’ apps free of charge often don’t have your best interest at heart, and may instead offer malware disguised as a fake version of the app. Someone thinks they’re getting an expensive app for free, but really they’ve just voluntarily installed a gateway to hackers to spy, scrape, and take over their PC.

But the more dangerous issue is the sites that pretend to be the real deal. These sites get the most attention, since most people are trying to download the apps from the official source. Bad actors will create fake websites that mimic the real company’s, and pay for Google ad space so they appear at the top of your search results. You think you’re clicking on the company’s website and downloading their app, but it’s a sham.

As with the free services, these fake sites can also attach malware to the apps they offer. And because you think you’re on an official website, your guard may be completely down.

The best practice here is to make sure you’re visiting the official source when downloading an app to your PC. For the safest approach, stick to official app stores, such as the Microsoft Store, where apps needs to be verified by Microsoft before they can be hosted. If an app isn’t available on these means, take caution when seeking them out online. Never click on ads claiming to be the real site: Even if it’s official, the company will have a non-ad link just below it. Click that to make sure you’re going to the company’s site.