Most Dangerous Web Search Terms
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A recent McAfee study (pdf) reveals that searching for certain keywords carries a greater risk of being infected with malware.
McAfee found maximum risks associated with the word, not surprisingly, "free". Studying the U.S. in particular, words associated with celebrities or song lyrics demonstrate how malware gloms onto recent headlines and trends. "Screensavers", "free music downloads" and "free ringtones" remain popular ways to lure you into clicking malicious links. And the keywords "search engine marketing" or "search engine optimization" have become increasingly linked to sites that deliver malware or scareware antivirus scams. In short, just because a link comes up when you search for a particular keyword doesn't mean that link is where you want to go.
I recommend free programs like McAfee SiteAdvisor or the even better LinkExtend for Firefox as plug-ins for your Web browser. These programs rank search results to give you a better idea of whether or not the links are malicious. But your safest bet is to type Web addresses manually, for example going directly to www.snopes.com instead of searching for it by keyword.
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Posted byTriona Guidry at 9:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: antivirus, consumers, Internet, malware, scareware, small business, social engineering, spyware, viruses, web
Valentine Viruses And Phony Parking Tickets
Friday, February 13, 2009
Every holiday we get a spate of viruses, and every holiday I feel compelled to warn you about fake electronic greeting cards. Trust me, virus writers will do just about anything to get you to click on their infectious links, so ignore those pretty Valentines.
In other news, a recent ruse demonstrates how computer security bleeds into everyday life. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, miscreants went so far as to put phony parking tickets on cars. The link that purportedly takes the victim to a police web site is actually infused with malware. This is an example of social engineering, when hackers use real-world tricks to achieve digital domination. Another is the ever-popular leaving of USB flash drives in public places. Most people don't hesitate to try them on their computers, at which point hidden viruses go to work bypassing firewalls and introducing back doors into networks.
Watch out for these scams, and don't forget to subscribe to the email version of Tech Tips for the latest computer news.
Posted byTriona Guidry at 5:23 AM 2 comments
Labels: alerts, antivirus, consumers, social engineering, viruses, windows