News

Most Malware Served Up by Legit Websites That Have Been Compromised

comment Commentsprint Printemail EmailDeliciousDiggStumbleUponReddit

Malware is the vile scourge of the internet. It invades your privacy, tracking where you’ve been on the internet to sell to marketing companies interested in your browsing habits. It invades your computer, sending pop-ups for products you don’t want, or it tricks users into buying some bogus program to fix nonexistent problems with their PCs. It steals resources from your computer, taking up CPU time, RAM and drive space. Being a malware programmer must rank up there with pimp-meister for jobs that you don’t tell friends and family that you do.

It used to be that you would pickup malware from ending up on a bogus site someplace, but it turns out that it is coming from almost everywhere now, according to a Websense report. About 75 percent of it comes from legitimate sites that have been compromised. That is an almost 50 percent rise over Q3 & Q4 of 2007. Of the top 100 websites on the internet 60 percent either hosted malicious content or contained a redirect to lure victims to malicious sites.

Always have your protection when surfing the internet boys and girls and not just FireFox like in the poster image below. An up to date Internet Security Suite is a must have.

You can visit the complete Websense report here for all the latest info on the filth lurking on the internet.

What do you do to protect your computer from Malware? Wrapping it in latex doesn't count.

FireFox Protection
COMMENTS
avatarA little of this, a little of that...

First, a confession: I haven't been able to bring myself to log in with a normal user account. Vista's UAC, while annoying, has helped in this regard.

What I do to keep safe(r):

  • Keep my firewall software, virus checker and malware checkers (3) up-to-date.
  • Install security updates for Windows and utilities as soon as they are available.
  • Scan all downloads and melted SEE/compressed folders before executing anything.
  • Avoid websites with higher-than-average pop-up/under ads.
  • Close pop-ups using the system tray icon rather than the window close gadget.
  • Avoid warez and torrent sites.
  • Use only legit, personally-licensed software; Do the same for all computers on our home network.
  • Use strong passwords for all accounts, both local and inet-based; Change them periodically.
  • Use strongest encryption available for wireless network.
  • Share limited number of folders to specific, local user accounts only.
  • Perform periodic system scrub to delete old drivers, uninstall unused utils/apps, etc.

Login or register to post comments
RESOURCE CENTER

THIS MONTH's ISSUE
FEATURE Windows Tips: Find out what works and what doesn't as we test the most commonly prescribed Windows tipsHOW TO Customize and streamline your Windows desktop Core i7 Check out Intel's next-gen chip, up close and personal The Reactor We preview the first production-ready oil-immersed PC

Don't have an account? Register Now! Forgot password?