Content creators are putting themselves at risk when researching and downloading creative software, according to a new study.
A report by Surfshark in partnership with the University of Maryland studied Google search results to identify which software is, in their words, "the most dangerous to search for online."
According to the report (opens in a new tab), Avid's audio editing tools were found to be the most dangerous: 64,4% of search engine results contained potentially dangerous malware. This was followed by Adobe Substance 3D Painter, the Sketch UI design tool, and Substance 3D Stager.
The most dangerous game.
To identify the riskiest creative software users can download, the VPN provider Googled the top-rated tools and added "download" and "torrent" as qualifiers to generate the list.
The company then ran all the URLs for the first five pages through a malware scanner. The percentages reflect any web addresses marked as medium or high risk.
Among the top ten creative software marked as "Most Dangerous", Adobe's suite dominates, which is perhaps unsurprising given that the company has become the benchmark for content creators with its suite of video editing software. , graphic design tools, DTP software and photo editors.
Along with Adobe products, the popular digital art tools CorelDRAW and Maxon Cinema 4D also made the list.
Surfshark also conducted the search in other categories, including small business software, social media marketing tools, crypto wallets, and browsers.
“Expensive software and user licenses have created a high demand for torrent software, making it the perfect opportunity for hackers to attack and insert malware into seemingly ordinary links. On average, about 1 in 3 software search results contain potential malware,” the company said.
But how can users stay protected? The answer is simple: downloading and paying for them, through the official website.
Slide to scroll horizontally The full list: Software % of URLs flagged as potentially malicious