A drive by download delivers unwanted software while someone merely views a page, without a deliberate choice to install it.
The person came for ordinary content, and the unwanted software arrived because the page or something embedded in it was unsafe.
How it works
Compromised sites and malicious advertisements are common contexts, and the visitor may notice nothing until the device slows, warns, or behaves oddly.
Naming those contexts is enough, without describing how a page is turned into a delivery mechanism.
Defense keeps browsers and plugins current, removes software the business does not need, and uses endpoint controls that notice new unwanted programs.
People should be able to report a sudden change after a routine visit without being blamed for clicking a deliberate installer.
Concrete examples
- A staff member reads a news page and later finds a browser extension that nobody in the company approved.
- A public kiosk begins opening unexpected pages after displaying a site that had been safe the week before.
- A laptop warning appears shortly after an advertising banner, and no one remembers agreeing to an install.
Protective measures
- Keep browsers and any remaining plugins updated, and remove plugins the business no longer needs.
- Limit which software may install on managed devices, and alert when a new program appears outside that list.
- Investigate sudden slowness or new extensions after ordinary browsing before you reimage in silence.
- Use a reporting path that treats the visitor as a witness, not as the person who chose the software.