Deciding whether a program is worth trusting
Judge a piece of software before installing it, using four checks that take five minutes.
Nobody can look inside a program and see whether it is honest. What you can do is judge the road it traveled to reach you.
Four questions settle most cases. Where did the link come from, you searching or somebody sending it? Is this the maker own website or a download site that repackages other people work? Does the program have a real company behind it? And is it promising to fix a problem you had not noticed?
The app store on your computer answers most of those questions in advance. Apple and Microsoft check what they list. That is not a guarantee, but it is a filter you did not have to build yourself.
One more habit. During installation, read the screens instead of pressing Next. Bundled extras, changed search engines, and toolbars all get added on a screen that people click past.
Key points
- You cannot inspect software, so inspect where it came from.
- Prefer the app store, then the maker own website.
- Never install from a link that arrived unasked.
- A page that diagnoses your computer is selling something.
- Read the installer screens rather than pressing Next.
What to remember
- Most unwanted software is agreed to, not sneaked in.
- Any page that diagnoses your computer from a distance is selling, not helping.
- Shortest road, fewest hands. That is the whole test for a download.
Try this
Pick one program already on your computer this afternoon, look up who makes it and where they are based, and decide whether you would install it again today.
Practice: Deciding whether a program is worth trusting. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.