On the internet, knowing what's safe and what's not can be extremely difficult, especially because scammers go to great lengths to seem convincing. The programs listed below and others like them should all be avoided and never downloaded or installed onto your computer. If in doubt, use a trusted internet browser to search the program name + "virus" or "scam" to find what comes up.


OPTIMIZING PROGRAMS

Programs that say they will “optimize” your computer are scams. 


SPEED-UP PROGRAMS

Programs that say they will “speed up” your computer are scams. 


UNKNOWN BACKUP PROGRAMS

Only use a trusted cloud website like Dropbox or Google Drive to back up your files.


UNKNOWN SEARCH ENGINES

Search toolbars, programs by Conduit, and search add-ons are viruses. Use Google or Bing to search the internet instead.


SEARCH ENGINE ADD-ONS

Do not use unnecessary add-ons or toolbars. You do not need to install anything to check the weather, play free games, or search the web.