Malvertising is an all-too common form of cybercrime that can have significant impacts on individuals. By injecting malware in online advertisements, hackers can gain access to your devices and infect them with all forms of malware. In addition possible financial losses or identity theft, malvertising may expose victims to inappropriate content, phishing attacks, and other forms of internet fraud.
Malvertising can be dangerous for web surfers who do not exercise discretion when visiting websites or opening emails. Hackers like to target vulnerable websites or emails with malvertising tactics, so users should exercise caution when surfing the internet or using email.
Unfortunately, online giant Google Ads has become a den for malvertisers. Malvertising through Google Ads is particularly dangerous because of the vast reach of the platform. With more than two million advertisers and more than five million online sites using Google Ads, hackers have a seemingly unlimited number of victims they can target.
These kinds of malvertising campaigns can also be hard to detect because they often masquerade as legitimate ads that lead users to pages with malicious content.
Thankfully, in an effort to protect users from malvertising, Google has affected a number of security measures that include scanning for malicious code in advertisements and restricting certain kinds of ads.
There are several steps you can take to protect yourself from malvertising schemes and other online advertising dangers. Updating your operating system and having an updated malware remediation program are two of the easier ways to ensure that any malware hidden in ads is stopped before it can be downloaded on your device.
Additionally, exercising caution when surfing the net and viewing emails will offer a measure of protection, as will refraining from clicking on unknown links or opening attachments in emails from unfamiliar addresses. You should also install an ad blocker app on all of your devices, as it can go a long way in preventing malicious ads from appearing in the first place.
Ad blocker apps stop malvertising from appearing on websites or in emails. They scan websites and emails for malware and block it before it can be installed. This can prevent your device from being victimized via advertisements and becoming infected with malware.
You don’t have to be a malvertising victim. By remembering to install an ad blocker app and using an anti-malware program, you can protect your devices from malvertising and other forms of cybercrime.