KUALA LUMPUR: Can a website promoting legal services be dirty? How about a site dedicated to food catering or electronics? It might come as a surprise to many Internet surfers, but some of the "dirtiest" websites are the more innocuous ones.
Computer security company Symantec's Dirtiest Web Sites of Summer 2009 report highlighted 100 sites with the most number of threats detected by the company's site ratings service, Norton Safe Web, as of this month.
While it comes as no surprise that 48 per cent of the "dirtiest websites" are those featuring adult content, the rest cover a myriad of topics. They include sites dedicated to legal services, electronics, food catering and figure skating.
Viruses are the most common threat, followed by security risks and browser exploits.
| Symantec’s David Freer says Net users should not reveal too much personal information online |
Symantec Asia Pacific and Japan consumer business unit vice-president David Freer said these sites represented the "worst of the worst" based on the number of threats detected.
"Our research shows that there has been exponential growth in the number of online threats. These threats are constantly evolving as cyber criminals look for new ways to target consumers' money, identity or assets.
"Based on our Internet Security Threat Report, most of the new infections last year occurred while people were surfing the Web," said Freer.
Symantec provides security, storage and systems management solutions to consumers and organisations.
Freer said all Internet users were potentially in danger.
"There are plenty of unsavoury websites out there. They will try to deceive you, steal your credit card numbers or passwords or even crash your computer.
"Simply visiting one of these sites, without downloading or clicking on anything, could expose your computer to infection, or worse, put your identity, personal and financial information into the hands of cyber criminals.
"By the time you visit a web- site, it's usually too late. The damage has been done; you've been had."
Freer said 90 per cent of threats detected by Symantec attempted to steal confidential information.
Threats with a keystroke-logging capability - which can be used to steal information such as online bank account credentials - made up 76 per cent of threats to confidential information, up from 72 per cent in 2007.
Malaysia is the seventh top country hosting Web-based attacks in Asia Pacific and Japan.
He said the average number of threats per site rated by Norton Safe Web is 23.
"Compare that with the average number of threats on the Dirtiest Web Sites list -- a staggering 18,000 per site. In fact, 40 of the 100 Dirtiest Web Sites have more than 20,000 threats per site."
To find the dirt, he said, the Norton Safe Web trawled the Web and analysed millions of websites.
He said the 100 Dirtiest Web Sites list had a variety of URLs with country domains. including .com, .ru, .org and .info. Even if the sites were registered outside the Asia-Pacific region, it did not necessarily mean that the people behind it were based there.
"The global nature of the Internet and of cyber crime means that cyber criminals can register sites in any country and run them from others.
"Cyber criminals succeed by chasing a mass market, choosing domains or creating scams which are likely to attract the highest number of people.
"This might be why .com, a globally-recognised domain name, is used in the majority of these cases.
"Hiding among the multitude of genuine .com domain names, cyber criminals can go undetected for longer."
Freer said Net users could stay ahead of cyber criminals by adopting some best practices.
"They can invest in a comprehensive security software that includes defence-in-depth strategies like antivirus software, firewalls, and anti-phishing toolbars; use strong passwords and change them on a regular basis; and never view, open or execute email attachments unless they are expected and the purpose of the attachments is known.
"They can also set privacy options at the highest levels; limit personal posts to people they know and trust; and not add people to a trusted friends list unless they know who that person is.
"Most importantly, they should use common sense. If a 'friend' emails and asks for a password or other information, call or email from another email to verify the identity of the requestor.
"The same goes for banks and businesses. They won't e-mail and ask for passwords or account numbers. If you think it might be real, call the bank or business.
"And don't give too much personal information online, because you never know who might use it against you and how," said Freer.
Symantec's Dirtiest Websites: Visit at your own risk
• 17ebook.com
• aladel.net
• bpwhamburgorchardpark.org
• clicnews.com
• dfwdiesel.net
• divineenterprises.net
• fantasticfilms.ru
• gardensrestaurantandcatering.com
• kingfamilyphotoalbum.com
• ginedis.com
• gncr.org
• hdvideoforums.org
• hihanin.com
• likaraoke.com
• mactep.org
• marbling.pe.kr
• nacjalneg.info
• pronline.ru
•magic4you.nu
• purplehoodie.com
• qsng.cn
• sportsmansclub.net
• stock888.cn
• teamclouds.com
• wadefamilytree.org
• xnescat.info
• yt118.com
• seksburada.net
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