{"id":162901,"date":"2022-12-28T04:54:28","date_gmt":"2022-12-28T12:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=162901"},"modified":"2024-02-20T22:05:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T06:05:21","slug":"celebrate-national-download-day-with-this-safe-downloading-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/celebrate-national-download-day-with-this-safe-downloading-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate National Download Day With This Safe Downloading Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Download Day! (Yes, there\u2019s a day for that.) Today is an excellent day to share downloading best practices to keep all your devices safe from malicious content. It\u2019s tempting to download \u201cfree\u201d shows, movies, and video games, but the consequences of doing so can be quite expensive. All it takes is for one malicious download to compromise your identity or leak your banking information to cybercriminals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, there are a few ways to <\/span>keep your devices and personally identifiable information (PII) safe<\/span><\/a>. Here\u2019s how!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dangers of Downloading Dubious Content<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

How many streaming services do you subscribe to? Two? Ten? No matter how many premium entertainment subscriptions you have, the hottest new show always seems to be on the channel you can\u2019t access. This is a common scenario that often drives people to download episodes from websites that claim crystal-clear, safe downloads. In actuality, these sites could harbor malware, spyware, or <\/span>other types of malware<\/span><\/a> that lurk in the shadows until an unsuspecting person downloads them to their desktop, tablet, or cellphone.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Malware<\/span><\/a>, which stands for malicious software, often hides behind legitimate-looking links or downloadable content. It\u2019s only until it\u2019s on your device that you realize there’s a criminal hiding behind it. For example, earlier in 2022, a ransomware program (a type of malware) <\/span>disguised itself as a Microsoft system update<\/span><\/a>. The criminal behind the scheme then threatened leaking or permanently deleting sensitive files if the person didn\u2019t pay the ransom.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once malware infects one device, some malware programs can infect an entire home network and spread to other connected devices.<\/span>1<\/span> From there, the cybercriminal can steal the online shopping, banking, or personal details of a whole household and either sell their findings on the dark web or keep it for themselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Safe Downloading Checklist<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before you download anything to any of your devices, go through this checklist to help you determine the safety of most content:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n