Searching and downloading a program from an unknown site is something quite risky. So, it's better to download from a site like: http://www.download.com if you want to search for a program. On this site, sometimes you can see reviews by visitors or those who have downloaded or used the program. By this way, you can reduce the first risk. It's also my trusted site for downloading freeware.Then another precaution for downloading is to look at the date when the program added to the database. If the program is about a year old, even without review, it's still safer to download compared to those with newer date added program. This is to ensure that with newer database of our antivirus, the antivirus can detect older viruses. If the file already infected by viruses, then at least your antivirus probably has known it as a virus because it's older than the database. It could possibly be detected rather than those newly created file which has probably been infected by new viruses. This is just a common sense and just a piece of advice from me. Perhaps, you don't think so. And actually I am not saying 0% risk, but I am saying lower risk only.
Always update your antivirus. This is the best precaution. If the updating involves antivirus database and antivirus engine, you should update both. Cause updating both will make the antivirus program run perfectly.
And these are the precaution steps for reducing risk on downloading. Search for more posts on antivirus or protection against virus on my blog. Also don't forget to install an anti-spyware like Spyware Doctor.
