On the other hand, backlink research can pave the way to having a virus-infected computer. You’ll never know whether your competitors unknowingly gathered links from websites that release spyware and other nasty software infections. It’s possible for these websites to have long been ditched by their owners, making the sites a breeding ground for computer viruses.
Moreover, you may unintentionally encounter infected websites while browsing the Internet for link building opportunities. Many infected sites out there don’t provide a warning before they load. Other sites can be very misleading – they just inform you that your computer has been compromised, and then tell you to click their link to get more details. If you click the link, you better prepare for a virus attack.
Common virus offenders include:
- Blogs
Blogging platforms, especially popular ones like WordPress, are regular hacking victims because of either the website’s own security issues, or the hosting company’s weaknesses.
- Directories
As with blogging websites, directories are often powered by PHP. Your computer may crash when unintentionally downloading malware from infected directories.
Software infections not only harm your computer, but your business as well. If you have FTP information for your client or your website, malware may steal that information, and then damage your website.
While it may not be easy to tell if a link contains viruses, there are steps you can take to protect your computer.
Update Your Anti-Virus Software and Scan Regularly
This tip is very important, and quite obvious. Even so, many tend to forget to update their anti-virus scanner and use it on a regular basis. If there’s no resident technical support person to remind you all the time, set your scanner to update and scan your computer regularly.
Use Multiple Protection Programs
When infection from backlinks strike, some anti-virus software can’t detect any threat no matter how many times you run the program. This is because these kinds of scanners can detect only certain types of threats, such as trojans and viruses. To spot bad cookies, malware and browser hijacking scripts, an additional spyware scanner is needed.
An example of such software is called Spybot Search & Destroy. It’s free, has an Immunize feature and implements passive protection steps.
Browser Lockdown
Firefox has a feature called NoScript that lets you block actions like JavaScript and Java Flash. You can also disable this feature on trusted websites that you identify.
There are more ways to protect your computer when seeking linking opportunities. Explore your options and remember this guide to stay safe from malicious websites.
