CaptureIt’s a popular consensus among Internet users that flashing banner and pop-up ads are annoying, but did you know that some ads can contain malicious content? While most ads are attempting to sell you a product or service based on your browsing history, more recently there has been a trend of ads that try to trick the user into downloading malicious software on their computers. They do this by using scare tactics such as showing the user messages.

A few signs to watch out for include strange pop-ups or ads, unwanted changes to your browser such as a new homepage or favorite links you did not create, and finally if you notice any abnormal slowness while using your computer. A slow computer does not always signify an infection, but it is something to look out for especially if encountering other symptoms along with it.Picture4

In order to protect yourself from these types of intrusions you should enable pop-up and ad blockers in your preferred browser and check your installed programs list for anything suspicious or unwanted.

If there is ever a question about something that looks abnormal, the Fairoaks IT team is always happy to answer any questions!