December 15, 2020 - WinZip is one of the most widely used pieces of software in the world. The program compresses files and is commonly used when sending large attachements via email or transferring files using other means. Now a reasearcher has determined that users of older versions of the program may be vulnerable to having malware installed on their systems. Here is what you need to know.

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WinZip has a feature that regularly checks for software updates. This is true for the current version - version 25 - as well as older versions. Anyone using an older version has probably seen a screen pop up telling them that they can upgrade. But upgrades are not free so many of us choose to ignore that screen.

Unfortunately, on older versions, the communication between the program on your PC and the WinZip server wasn't encrypted or secured. This means that it can by hijacked and replaced with an official looking screen from someone else. Anyone clicking on such a screen could find that they have installed malware on their computer.

There is a simple fix to all of this. Simply go into your WinZip settings and disable the programs ability to check for software updates. That's what we're advising our readers to do. If the program otherwise works fine for you, there is no reason to spend more money on an upgrade. 

by Jim Malmberg

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