Popup Driver update threats. Are they for real?

Hi olderdirt02
 
Welcome to the Community Forums.
 
They can be but it is difficult to generalise other than to say that popups need to be treated carefully & in context. And in my view one should not browse without having a good ad/popup blocker in place to allow one more discrimination as to what one allows through and not. 
 
Good free Ad Blocker like the ones suggested below:
 
For Internet Explorer Ad Block Plus: https://adblockplus.org/
 
For Firefox uBlock: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/?src=ss or Privacy Badger: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/privacy-badger-firefox/

 
Google Chrome uBlock: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm?hl=en or Privacy Badger: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/privacy-badger/pkehgijcmpdhfbdbbnkijodmdjhbjlgp
 
And recently verrsion of both AdBlocker Plus & uBlock Origin cvan now be applied to Edge when installed from the Windows Store.
 
I would get yourself kitted out with the appropriate one for the browser you use, and you should be significantly safer.
 
Hope that helps?
 
Regards, Baldrick