Don't Google Search For Software Downloads
While the process of Googling things has become ingrained as a part of everyday life, there are some things that you're better off not completing that search for. One of those things is searching for a software download link.
Although this has been an issue for some time, the issue only continues to grow of real-looking results and sites appearing within the results of such searches. With the implementation of ads rising to the top, scammers are essentially paying their way to the top of the search results. As a result, when you search for a software to download, the various ads at the top will push any real result down and out of sight.
Essentially, this is happening as the ads become more pronounced and bad actors have learned the method behind these ads, allowing them to make themselves a "top ad" for certain searches. Google has been dealing with the issue for several months, but there is no report on any sort of solution for this in the immediate future.
Clicking on these links and attempting to download from the incorrect source could lead to malware, ransomware, or some other sort of infection getting onto the device rather than the program that you were looking for. As such, it is strongly advised that you locate the primary website of whatever program you are searching for and navigate directly to this site.
