If you use Microsoft Bing as your Search Engine you are more likely to become infected with Adobe Reader Computer Viruses

The IT Guys (WA) remove a lot of computer viruses on behalf of our clients who are mostly new or recent Windows 8 purchasers used to using Windows 7!!

The reasons ….. Internet Explorer, Bing and Adobe Reader!!!!

Let me explain…… in addition to removing computer viruses, we are also interested in how they are contracted. After speaking to hundreds of clients we started seeing a few common patterns and one pattern in particular.

These clients will have recently purchased a laptop of desktop computer with Windows 8.1 operating system usually pre-installed, after setting up their mail and trying to open a PDF attachment with the Windows 8.1 built in PDF viewer, they decide they would prefer to have their old familiar Adobe Reader instead and they go off looking for it.

Windows 8.1 comes with Internet Explorer browser by default, which is also setup to use Microsoft's Bing search engine by default. When you make a search using bing for the term “adobe reader” you are presented with results similar to the following.

The above results highlighted in yellow are all Bing advertisements and just about every one one of those links will result in contracting adware, spyware and worse. The official Adobe Acrobat reader site (adobe.com) is the first organic result but many, many people will click on results 1 to 3 which are all paid advertising.

Why Microsoft allows such blatantly fraud companies to advertise on Bing is beyond comprehension.

Now try the same search on Google Chrome …… (see results below)

No scam advertising and the first result is clearly the genuine site.

Google are obviously more vigilant and security conscious than Microsoft.

Their strict adwords adverting policy does not allow such scam companies to advertise.

Chrome is trying very hard to protect consumers from such scam companies and is making it more difficult to accidentally download harmful software.

Google Chrome recently added a new warning to Chrome that pops up before users visit a site that will encourage downloads of unwanted software. A red warning lets readers know that the site they're about to visit “might attempt to trick you into installing programs that harm your browsing experience” by, for example, switching your homepage or injecting extra ads on your screen. Chrome already has a warning that pops up once a software download is initiated.