🔐 Stay Safer Online: The Security Case for Using an Ad Blocker

June 8, 2025

You might think of ads as just annoying—but they can also be dangerous. Behind some of those flashy banners and autoplay videos are real security risks.

Here’s how ad blockers protect you or a loved one:

• Stop Malicious Ads (Malvertising):
  Hackers can sneak malicious code into ad networks. These ads can infect your device with malware without you clicking anything—just by loading the page. Ad blockers stop these ads before they reach your screen.
• Block Scam Redirects:
  Some ads automatically redirect you to scam sites pretending to be tech support, antivirus tools, or prize pages. Ad blockers stop these shady scripts before they run.
• Limit Tracking Scripts:
  Many ads come with tracking tools that quietly follow your behavior across the internet. Ad blockers cut off these trackers, helping protect your identity and sensitive data.
• Reduce Phishing Risks:
  Fewer ads mean fewer chances of clicking on a fake login page or phishing link that’s designed to steal your passwords or personal info.

A straightforward way to protect yourself or a loved one:

While you should never hand over the responsibility of personal security to a piece of software, ads are a potential threat vector which leads to a lot of the scams that we see.

Set it and forget it:

One of the biggest issues when supporting aging parents is inability to protect them 24/7. "She usually calls me, why didn't she on this one?" Setting up ad blockers on computers and mobile phones can be a way to help further limit ways that scammers can reach you.

Caveats:

If you're helping someone else set one up, remember to chat with them about only blocking sites once, rather than forever. Sites who profit from ads will try to get you to disable the blockers so that they can get the ad revenue from having your eyes on their ads.

Also there have been reports, even on AdBlock Plus's own forums of AdBlock Plus accepting money to NOT block certain ads. You can help this with custom filters, if you're game for that.

Bottom Line:
Install a trusted ad blocker like AdBlock Plus, and you’ll instantly reduce your risk exposure every time you go online.