"Even the FBI Says You Should Use an Ad Blocker"

The FBI issued a warning that cybercriminals are using Internet ads in search results to steal or extort money from victims. In a pre-holiday public service announcement, the FBI stated that cybercriminals are purchasing ads to spoof real brands such as bitcoin exchanges. According to the FBI, these ads are typically found to be positioned at the top of search results with minimal difference between the ads and the search results, which can look identical to the companies that the cybercriminals are impersonating. Malicious ads are also used to dupe victims into installing malware disguised as legitimate software, which can steal credentials and install file-encrypting ransomware. Installing an ad blocker is one of the FBI's suggestions for consumers. Ad blockers are web browser extensions that prevent online ads from loading in a user's browser, including search results. By blocking ads, potential victims are not shown any ads, making it easier to identify and access legitimate brand websites. Ad blockers do more than just remove the massive baggage from websites, such as auto-playing videos and advertising that take up half the page and cause computer fans to overperform. They also protect privacy since they prevent tracking code from loading within ads. That means ad companies will not be able to track a user as they browse the web, learn which websites they visit, or infer what they might be interested in based on their web history. This article continues to discuss the FBI's warning about cybercriminals using online ads in search results to steal or extort money from victims and the suggestion to use ad blockers. 

TechCrunch reports "Even the FBI Says You Should Use an Ad Blocker"