Pop-up ads are frustrating, take up precious bandwidth and cause a visual distraction that makes it difficult to do what you wanted to do. According to Microsfot, pop-up ads could even be a part of a phishing scam designed to gain access to your confidential information. As San Diego IT support specialists, we encourage businesses to teach their employees about pop-up ads. Knowing the causes of pop-up ads can help you find ways to get rid of them and keep your computer and information safe.
Causes of Pop-Up Ads
There are several reasons why you might be getting pop-up ads on your desktop computer. One of the most common is that your PC could be infected with spyware. Other causes of pop-up ads include downloading of “free” software, the use of adware, and messenger service ads. In some cases, the page you are visiting is responsible for the pop-up ads.
Getting Rid of Pop-Up Ads
Most major browsers, including IE, Firefox and Chrome offer built-in pop-up blockers that are able to put a halt to most of these annoying ads. Be sure to go into the tools and settings to turn on the pop-up blocker. Each browser’s pop-up ad blocker is located in a slightly different place within the menu options, but in most cases you’ll find it within the content or security area. Some of the newest operating systems, such as Windows 8, already have a built-in pop-up blocker and you don’t need to do anything to turn it on.
Risks of Not Eliminating Pop-up Ads
If you choose not to run a pop-up ad blocker on your computer, you run the risk of identity theft, fraud and the sale of your information to third parties. You have no control over who sees your information or where your personal info goes, which makes it difficult to protect yourself. And if you own a business, employees that don’t take the proper precautions could put your important and proprietary data at risk.
If your business has problems with spam or adware, it may be time to reach out to a trusted and local San Diego IT consulting firm who can help make sure you have the right data protection measures in place. Not sure where to start? Reach out to Syndeo Communications at 760-650-3300 and schedule a complimentary consultation.