Guide to Downloading Files
This simple guide runs through some questions and the steps you should take before downloading a file.
- Where are you downloading the file from?
This sounds simple enough, is the site you are downloading the file from reputable? You can tell my looking at the address bar in your web browser.
If the address website is simple and clear and contains a well know brand then you are most likely safe to download the file. eg. www.microsoft.com
Avoid long and complicated addresses such as dwn.user110.cn/download.html.
This example shows an root address of “dwn.user110.cn” does that sound safe to you? - Make sure your Anti-Virus software is up-to-date
Anti-Virus software is your best protection against downloading the wrong file. If you don’t have a current subscription, download AVG Free from www.avg.com. - What is the file type?
There are many types of files, some contain more risk than others when it comes to downloading files. File types which potentially are more harnful are .exe files or programs. Zipped files can also contain hidden .exe files so tread with caution when downloading these. File types that are general safe are JPEG (.jpg), GIF (.gif), PNG (.png), PDF (.pdf) and .AVI(.avi). WORD (.doc) files are also generally safe to download.
A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on.
William S. Burroughs