Bonn, Germany - Software or driver updates should only be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Updates offered as e-mail attachments or on third party sites can in fact turn out to contain malicious programs or viruses, according to the German publisher, Verlag fuer die Deutsche Wirtschaft, in Bonn.

The phenomenon is known as update spoofing. The goal is to steal a user's data over the internet or to control the computer remotely. Caution should also be exercised when using "update portals," which offer one-stop shopping for new program and driver versions. Users should only trust links which go to the actual manufacturers' websites.

A review of the browser's address bar is the best bet for checking whether you've been forwarded to the actual manufacturer's website. You can't always trust the content of the page itself, since internet criminals have learned to replicate internet pages to fool the unsuspecting. (dpa)