Malvertising: definition and explanation of the term

Advertising is widespread in all areas of the web, as it represents one of the most important sources of revenue. At the same time, there is always a risk of falling victim to malvertising. We explain the term.

Malvertising involves the use of seemingly harmless advertising banners as a lure.

The list of online pests is long and growing. Malvertising is almost a classic, but is still relevant today.

Malvertising: This is how users are lured into the trap

Malvertising is made up of malware and advertising. Since malware is known to be harmful, it quickly becomes clear that malvertising cannot be a good thing:

• Malvertising is malware that is disguised as advertising.
• Thus, the creators hope for a higher success rate than in other ways.
• When you click on malvertising banners, they try to infect your computer with harmful files or programs, for example by redirecting you to a new page.
• Possible dangers include keyloggers, Trojans or even ransomware.

To avoid falling victim to this method, you should take a close look at advertising banners before clicking. There is no guarantee, but it is sometimes enough if a banner looks dubious, for whatever reason. It is equally important to always have an up-to-date antivirus program with anti-malware capabilities active.In sum, protection thus results from the combination of your own behavior and suitable software support.