Even the FBI Says You Should Use an Ad Blocker • InNewCL
#FBI #Blocker #InNewCL Welcome to InNewCL, here is the new story we have for you today:
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This holiday season, consider giving security with an ad blocker as a gift.
That’s the gist of an unlikely source – the FBI – which this week issued an alert that cybercriminals are using online ads in search results with the ultimate goal of stealing or extorting money from victims.
In a public announcement ahead of the holidays, the FBI said cybercriminals are buying ads to impersonate legitimate brands like cryptocurrency exchanges. Ads are often placed at the top of search results, but with “minimal distinction” between the ads and the search results, federal authorities say, which can look identical to the brands that cybercriminals impersonate. Malicious ads are also used to trick victims into installing malware disguised as legitimate apps that can steal passwords and use ransomware to encrypt files.
One of the FBI’s recommendations for consumers is to install an ad blocker.
As the name suggests, ad blockers are web browser extensions that largely block online ads from loading in your browser, including in search results. Ad blocking prevents potential victims from showing ads at all, making it easier to find and access legitimate brands’ websites.
Ad blockers don’t just remove the huge bloat of websites, like auto-playing videos and splashy ads that take up half the page and keep your computer fans running like jet engines. Ad blockers are also good for privacy as they prevent the tracking code from being loaded in ads. This means that the advertising companies like Google and Facebook can’t track you as you browse the web, or learn which websites you visit, or infer what you might be interested in based on your web history.
The good news is that some of the best ad blockers are free and can be installed and mostly forgotten.
If you’re looking for a universally recommended ad blocker, uBlock Origin is a simple, low-memory ad blocker that works for most browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Also, the extension is open source, so anyone can take a look at the code and make sure it’s safe to run.
You can also get content blockers for Android and iOS that will block ads from loading on your device.
Of course, you can always switch off your ad blocker and even allow or deny advertising for entire websites. Ads are still an important part of what keeps the internet largely free and accessible, including InNewCL, even as subscriptions and paywalls are increasingly becoming the norm.
If you’re here and an ad blocker is right for you, consider these other web browser extensions and features that make web browsing safer and more private.
