Mrs. Lynne wants to know how she can download software and be certain she’s not getting something malicious. There’s no way to be certain, but a few precautions can reduce the chance considerably.

Managing Editor Alison DeNisco Rayome joined CNET in 2019, and is a member of the Home team. She is a co-lead of the CNET Tips and We Do the Math series, and manages the Home Tips series, testing out ...