It can be challenging for new and old users to locate the proper driver for their computer hardware, whether a graphics driver for the latest AMD or NVIDIA GPUs or looking for drivers for AMD and Intel processors. Unfortunately, searching on Google, Bing, and others will show you advertised links above the searched inquiry, leading several users to be duped by fake and malicious software downloads masked as helpful drivers.
Malicious websites are still rampant in 2023, AMD drivers carrying malware show up in various search engines
This type of warning story is not new. Creating a fake website that looks identical to the company's website (AMD in this case) that you are trying to look for is relatively easy to accomplish. The thumbnail for this article, which was exaggerated to prove a point, could even throw someone off who might have vision difficulties, such as dyslexia. We feel safe when we use our search engine to find the software we need or open an email telling us that several hundred dollars have been removed from our ACME bank account.
The origin of the recent AMD driver problems stems from a discussion on the PC Master Race Reddit from three days ago by user "FuzzyCard121." The user published a screenshot of a website search in Google, which we will provide below as an example:
In doing the exact search, my results were different. I was taken to the correct website for support. I am providing both results from Google Chrome and Microsoft Bing:
On Microsoft Bing, my SafeSearch settings are on "Moderate," and on Google Chrome (for this example), my SafeSearch setting was the same. However, plenty of users will turn the SafeSearch settings off so that all links in a search appear, where part of the issue can arise, which is also how this screenshot came to pass.
How do you protect yourself? There are numerous ways of going about securing yourself online. Ad-blocking software is one route, where an extension on your browser is placed to ensure you are safe online. Another security feature you can do is install a virus protection program, such as Norton Antivirus, that will allow you to be at ease with secure browsing on the internet. Users can also change the search engine used. Instead of Google and Bing, you could look into DuckDuckGo or Startpage — two search engines/web search integrations that allow you only to see the results, removing a lot of the advertisements sitting at the top of the page. Lastly, you can switch browsers altogether, such as Firefox or Brave, to name a few.
The most important thing to remember is to set up each option correctly and wisely. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, this type of situation is not new and has worsened over time. Users need to remain educated on the best ways of browsing online. If you want to find the company's official website for your product, keep a folder for instruction manuals. On there, you will find the official website address. Keep a digital note on the different websites of the companies whose products you use.
Recently, there have also been cases of malware-invested copies of MSI Afterburner floating on the web and showing up in top spots at various search engines.
This article was written for educational purposes only, and no links were affiliated. We hope this article will help users to know what to look for and how to remain safe online.
News Sources: PC World, FuzzyCard121 from the PC Master Race Reddit, Norton Antivirus, Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Startpage, FireFox, Brave
