Summary
Free software is wonderful, and there is no shortage of it available to accomplish almost any task. However, free software or apps can also be a vector for malicious programs or other attacks. Here’s why you need to evaluate free software before you install it.
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The age of app stores has brought about a massive rise in free software, and many of these free apps are wonderful. But as we continue our October series on the biggest cyber security mistakes you might make, we come to mistake number three, trusting free software without evaluating it.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
Many of the most popular apps are available for free. That’s usually what makes them so popular. The people who made the software will find different ways to make money from it. Some companies will offer the software for free and then sell support contracts to businesses. Some offer free versions of the software, but then have premium upgrades. And of course, some companies collect advertising data on their customers in exchange for using the software.
However, not every free program is safe to use. Here are a few of the dangers of free software.
First, the program could come with malware. Some free downloads will do what they claim they will do, but also bring extra malicious features.
Second, the free software could contain adware or other unwanted software. Often, this sneaks in through the installation process. While these technically aren’t malware, they’re almost never wanted.
Third, free software may be poorly written or may be abandoned by the people who wrote it. When there are problems with the software, you want them fixed quickly. For free software, you’ll likely have little to no help with any problems that arise, and any issues that are found may not be fixed at all.