Every so often, you come across some kind of computer task that’s outside of your normal workflow. Something like rearranging pages in a PDF or converting one file type into another. You need to do it quickly, and you don’t have access to or want to pay for expensive software (like Acrobat Pro in our PDF-rearranging scenario).
If you’re like most of us, you head straight to your search engine of choice. “Free file converter” or “rearrange PDF pages” will give you millions of results and dozens of services and tools that can get the job done, with varying degrees of success.
But watch out: some of these tools could be dangerous for your business. So much so that the FBI put out a recent warning about the problem.
Here’s what you need to watch out for.
The Problem With “Free”: Somebody’s Still Paying for It
The big problem with free (tech) stuff is that it isn’t truly free. Someone, somewhere is paying for it — the question that matters most is who’s footing the bill and why.
You’ve probably heard the maxim: if you aren’t the customer, you’re the product.
That’s absolutely true on the internet. Facebook isn’t free out of the goodness of Meta’s corporate heart. It’s free because you’re not just a user; you’re a monetizable treasure trove of data. The same goes for your personal Google accounts and, well, just about anything online that’s free. These services are free because the service provider is gaining something from you that someone else is willing to pay them for.
Now, this isn’t all bad: the big tech companies will tell you that everyone wins here. Users get products that improve their lives and ads that are more relevant, enjoyable, and even useful.
And not every single free tool is a data collector. Some brands give away a light version of their paid product to entice you to pony up for the real thing. Canva, Zoho, and just about any SaaS tool that has a “free forever” or “starter” plan are all using this approach.
To sum up: the point is, free stuff isn’t free. Someone’s paying for it, and that someone is getting something out of the arrangement. And we haven’t even gotten to the stuff the FBI is warning against yet!
The Even Darker Side of “Free”: Malware and Worse
The darker side is when bad actors create these types of tools as bait. They don’t just want to sell the data you agree to give up; they want to steal everything they can get!
Think back to those PDF pages you needed to rearrange: what if they contained information that was supposed to stay private or internal? An unscrupulous tool could copy the pages wholesale, retaining them and mining them for data that could be sold or used against you.
Even worse, some of these tools will create the file you ask them to — and then some. You end up with a PDF or a video file that does what you wanted it to do, but it’s also embedded with malware that does even more damage to your computer or network.
How to Protect Your Business
If you want to protect your business from these kinds of scams and data threats, follow these tips.
- Keep antivirus and cybersecurity software up to date: When illegitimate tools are discovered, security software should block them — but it can only do so if it knows about the threat. Be sure your software and OS are up to date with the latest security updates.
- Stick to known vendors: The safest approach is to stick with companies you know and trust for any of these functions. Look for ways to accomplish what you need with the tools you already have (Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 have a lot more tools than most people realize).
That’s it for this week. If we can help you with this or any other IT needs, reach out anytime.