Drive-by attacks have to be one of the worst things that can happen to an Internet user.
 
Definition:
A drive-by attack is the unintentional download of a virus or malicious software (malware) onto your system.
 
A drive-by attack will usually take advantage of (or “exploit”) a browser, app, or operating system that is out of date and has a security flaw.
 
Example:
You’re surfing your favorite news website. On it, there’s an online ad you don’t even notice. What you don’t know is that the ad is infected with malware.
 
Without you even clicking or hovering your mouse over it, the malware in the ad will scan your system for security holes. If it finds one, it will exploit it to gain access into your PC and create further damage.
 
And you’ll never know this is happening.
 
Protection tips include keeping your software up to date, using both reactive (antivirus) and proactive (traffic filtering) protection and hardening your browsers against cyber threats.