The Flash Player program is used to stream video, audio and multimedia. However, the software contains many vulnerabilities, so if you don’t constantly update it, you could be exposing your system to hackers. Determine whether you really need this software on your computer. If not, uninstall it and make room for other programs.

Pop-up ads aren’t as prevalent as they used to be, but they can still cause trouble. Many of them contain common scams, including telling you that your system is infected with a virus, that Adobe Flash Player is out-of-date or that you need to call a particular number. These ads should be closed immediately.

Flash is a holdover from a previous era of the web, when most traffic was from PCs. Mobile devices don’t even support it and there are now safer desktop alternatives, such as HTML5, for running certain browser apps. Consider uninstalling it to shield yourself from the many threats that exploit it.

Ads and pop-ups frequently ask that you install a new program or update. They might make their case by insisting a common application – such as Adobe Flash Player – is outdated. Phishing emails sometimes take similar approaches to get you to download an attachment. Don’t fall for them; avoid installing anything unless you intended […]