The problem is that somewhere in that network, scammers place ads. That network then contacts advertisers or other networks to find ads and then pays the website owner. A website owner works with a company that takes care of advertising on the site. When you see an ad, it’s usually through an ad network. Legitimate sites like the New York Times and Yahoo get infected due to the convoluted way ads appear on websites. I’ve seen employees unfairly fired because a computer got a virus. “As long as I keep to safe areas, I’ll be fine.” It also creates conflict when people do get malware. If you are doing something questionable, malware should be your punishment, right? Not necessarily.Īssumptions like this lead to a false sense of security. That’s less about technology and more about judgment. Pornography, gambling, and other questionable activities are assumed to cause malware. Many users think they get viruses and other malware from hanging out in the “after-hours” areas of the internet. Malware Doesn’t Indicate Unsafe Activities All you need to do is disable the Network Adapter and never connect it anywhere.

In fact, to prevent any browser from launching, I disabled DNS on it.Īlthough XP has long since been vulnerable to unpatched security problems, you can still prevent malware from getting on it. This computer does one thing: Quickbooks. I agree it can slow down a computer and cause compatibility programs. Although I can’t entirely agree with Stefan, I have a computer in my home with no antivirus.

Ninite superantispyware