Looking at the filehippo site for MBAM, it shows that it provides the MD5SUM. With this you will at least be able to verify that you downloaded what was posted and that it hasn't been modified. It goes without saying that when you download something, especially something critical, you should always download it from a known trusted source AND VERIFY THE DOWNLOAD by comparing against a trusted value for a hashing sum or use of cryptographic signing keys.
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Be warned... well known DL sites gone bad? 8
- Thread starter BadBigBen
- Start date
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I thought it was well know that CNET/Download.com always has and always will be a proliferator of nasties, adware, popups, spammy adverts, underhand pre-opted in tool bar distribution or other 'free add ons' and unacceptable webcoding pactices etc. etc.
Along with the countless other dodgy sites that for some bizzarre reason decent and genuine product providers insist on using to deliver their content / downloads?
MajorGeeks.com is another provider of the MalwareBytes MBAM software, but it's just a spammy as all the others with dodgy regclean, dll fixes, bogus driver downloads, adwords galore and 'pc speed up' programs, so use with care!
"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."
"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
MIME::Lite TLS Email Encryption - Perl v0.02 beta
Along with the countless other dodgy sites that for some bizzarre reason decent and genuine product providers insist on using to deliver their content / downloads?
MajorGeeks.com is another provider of the MalwareBytes MBAM software, but it's just a spammy as all the others with dodgy regclean, dll fixes, bogus driver downloads, adwords galore and 'pc speed up' programs, so use with care!
"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."
"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
MIME::Lite TLS Email Encryption - Perl v0.02 beta
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- #23
goombawaho
MIS
I'm SURE the average computer user will always do this!!!
Yup, that's half the problem!
Even us tech savvy, sceptical and cynical, IT professionals can still get caught out once in a while, so what chance does average Joe have?
"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."
"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
MIME::Lite TLS Email Encryption - Perl v0.02 beta
Even us tech savvy, sceptical and cynical, IT professionals can still get caught out once in a while, so what chance does average Joe have?
"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."
"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
MIME::Lite TLS Email Encryption - Perl v0.02 beta
The average user is going to continue to have problems with malware that they will happily open the door for and invite right in.
I am really amazed how the culture of download some application from an unknown source, install and run it without any sort of verification continues to thrive. While this amazes, now, I used to be just as guilty of it when I was predominantly a Windows user. The problem arises when you want to do "something" with your machine, right now, and you realize your options are pay lots of dollars that you can't afford for commercial software or just download this FREE (as in beer, not freedom) software, written by someone who goes by some creepy handle, posted on the pirate bay. Free wins every time.
I am really amazed how the culture of download some application from an unknown source, install and run it without any sort of verification continues to thrive. While this amazes, now, I used to be just as guilty of it when I was predominantly a Windows user. The problem arises when you want to do "something" with your machine, right now, and you realize your options are pay lots of dollars that you can't afford for commercial software or just download this FREE (as in beer, not freedom) software, written by someone who goes by some creepy handle, posted on the pirate bay. Free wins every time.
goombawaho said:
That's because CNet does not put their wrapper around MBAM's installer. I don't know exactly why MBAM is excluded from this, but this forum link seems to me to imply that MBAM told CNet that this would not be tolerated.
MBAM has clout, being one of the top downloads on CNet.
The problem is not software that has opt-out checkboxes. The problem is when a site, who is already generating ad revenue, provides a link to someone else's software inside THEIR OWN opt-out wrapper, without the author's permission. This is not ethical in my book.goombawaho said:
goombawaho
MIS
Ethical <> Free Product <> Internet
Does not compute. I know what you mean, just sayin'.
Does not compute. I know what you mean, just sayin'.
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- #28
goombawaho:
Yes i know what you mean also
. Sometimes, its a matter of "how dare CNet add a revenue-generating-opt-out adware checkbox to my crappy software's revenue-generating adware". But still... they suck for adding that. They were making money before this change. Those of us "in the know" already understand the game, and un-check those checkboxes. CNet still sucks.
1DMF:
You know this already, so this is not directed at you, but... I trust no utility, on any site, without researching it first; CNet and MajorGeeks and FileHippo should really only be used as a conduit to download the programs you WANT, based on other research and observations. They should never be trusted as a direct source for a solution you need... they are ad-driven, which means that your best interests are not necessarily their best interests.
If you need to do something, research it first, find out if it has helped people, find out it's free "limitations" (if any), ask yourself "how are they trying to making money off this free software?", look for user complaints, and if you still like the software, find a reputable mirror site to download it from. And if CNet is acceptable to you, remember you may get an extra "opt-out-of-my-crapware" option.
Yes i know what you mean also
. Sometimes, its a matter of "how dare CNet add a revenue-generating-opt-out adware checkbox to my crappy software's revenue-generating adware". But still... they suck for adding that. They were making money before this change. Those of us "in the know" already understand the game, and un-check those checkboxes. CNet still sucks.1DMF:
You know this already, so this is not directed at you, but... I trust no utility, on any site, without researching it first; CNet and MajorGeeks and FileHippo should really only be used as a conduit to download the programs you WANT, based on other research and observations. They should never be trusted as a direct source for a solution you need... they are ad-driven, which means that your best interests are not necessarily their best interests.
If you need to do something, research it first, find out if it has helped people, find out it's free "limitations" (if any), ask yourself "how are they trying to making money off this free software?", look for user complaints, and if you still like the software, find a reputable mirror site to download it from. And if CNet is acceptable to you, remember you may get an extra "opt-out-of-my-crapware" option.
Through the many years I've used CNet's Downloads.com it always had clean trustworthy installers for applications. Sure most were shareware or Trialware but they have never installed any nasties, or unwanted software of any kind that I can remember.
The addition of this wrapper to the software is pointless. It doesn't even show you any ads. Only tries to get you to install the toolbar which will get you ads.
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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
Web & Tech
The addition of this wrapper to the software is pointless. It doesn't even show you any ads. Only tries to get you to install the toolbar which will get you ads.
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Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
Web & Tech
- Status