Application From Trusted Sites
There are many currency converters available online. A few are well known like the Yahoo and the popular XE Universal Currency Converter. These are well known and trusted sites. Other well known and trusted include Bloomberg, CNN Money, and many others operated by reputable companies. All of these sites offer global currency exchange rates in real time.
Beware of 'Shareware'
A quick Google search using the search terms yields 30,300,000 results. While most currency converters available online are supplied by reputable and honest companies and financial institutions there are a few bad apples in the bunch. Some currency converters available online are offered by free file sharing websites which are notorious for downloading Trojans, malware, adware, and spyware on to the computers of unsuspecting forex traders.
Keyloggers
Using MacAfee Site Advisor as a guide it is revealed that many of the websites offering currency converters are less than honest. For example on the website qarchive a key logger was found. Once installed a keylogger records every keystroke and is used to steal passwords, banking information, and any other personal information that could be used for nefarious purposes.
Beware of Malware
On many sites offering free 'shareware' Trojans and other malware are routinely downloaded with currency converters. It is common for malware to be bundled with a legitimate download. On one file sharing website offering a free currency converter the notorious winantivirus program was found. This program is capable of crippling a computer in 24 hours rendering it useless. The purveyors of this malware are currently being prosecuted by the US Federal Trade Commission.
Use Caution
Some shareware sited offering free software will download programs that will hijack the browser, change the homepage, and add tools and modify toolbars with the consent of the user. It is highly recommended that those seeking a free online currency converter stick to well known brands and avoid free file sharing websites.