WASHINGTON — The recent barrage of stories about computer security attacks are enough to make you unplug your computer and go back to reading books and writing letters. Well, it turns out there’s another one consumers need to have on their radar.
It’s called “malvertising,” and USA TODAY reports that it’s malicious software — what we call malware — hidden in online ads. Often, the advertiser doesn’t even know it’s there, much less you. But malvertising works differently than plain old malware.
In this case, the bad guys don’t want your personal information; they want control of your computer, which they’ll use to go online and click on other, pay-by-the-click ads to artificially boost those numbers.
A computer security executive at Norton tells USA TODAY that the best way to protect yourself is to stick to major, updated browsers, and keep your security software updated.
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