Frustrating.<p>I'm a pro user (or at least that's how I consider myself, unless I suffer from the Imposter Syndrome).<p>I don't click links just because. I just don't. Not once in a million, not by mistake. I just don't.<p>I don't install software that comes from an "Unknown Publisher", even if I have to have it. I just don't.<p>I use CCleaner for a long time, as it's considered trusted, reliable and crap-free.<p>I did install the dodgy CCleaner 5.33. It was digitally signed by Piriform: https://i.imgur.com/GlDiEJM.png<p>And yet, it contains malware that was injected to the build process, thus got it to be as part of the "normal" program files and signed.<p>The trust model has broken.<p>What could I have done differently?
There was not much you could have done. Personally I never used CCCleaner even though folks on my team did. I just didn't have a use for it because I wanted to make sure I understood chrome's caching logic. SO maybe I am slightly more "Pro" than you. But I install lots of software that could have had their deployment process hacked without me knowing.
Think twice before installing a new application. Try to use the OS default applications as much as you can tolerate them.<p>I don't think you need CCleaner in 2017.<p>Recommended reading: <a href="https://usesthis.com/interviews/marius.eriksen/" rel="nofollow">https://usesthis.com/interviews/marius.eriksen/</a>
It's not like CCleaner was out to get you - they got hacked. It's like if your bank got hacked and your stuff got stolen. The bank didn't trick you.<p>What should you do now? Never update an app automatically. Wait at least a day and see if there are any issues.
Think twice before installing a "Anti- (virus/malware)" software. I havent installed one in either windows/linux/mac for the last 10 years ( because norton/mcafee/avg and others used to mess up the speed ).<p>- use ad blocker<p>- dont auto update
Don't do all tasks on one computer. Computers dropped in price so there's no reason to do that.<p>You can use a livecd for surfing the web. The web is one of the biggest sources of badware.
not using CCleaner would be a start.<p>pay attention to the version of what you are using and avoid using things on auto-update or on a version which haven't been battleproof.<p>use linux and check the source code of everything you run... but it's a lot of work<p>so basically I don't think you could've done much, nor most of the people can unless you would accept living in a very walled and time-consuming computer setup