Websites offering adult content (28% of the dangerous sites analyzed), software (27%), and entertainment (16%) are the most dangerous for Internet users. These sites cause major damage both financially and to computers. These are the findings of an analysis carried out by WOT, Web of Trust. The study is based on analysis of 17 million websites rated by the WOT user community. (www.mywot.com)
Other dangerous categories include search sites, digital marketing providers, and consumer research sites making empty promises of free gifts or money.
A list of dangerous sites is available at http://www.mywot.com/en/press/fiftydangeroussites.
“With this study we wanted to shed light on the dark corners of the Internet. The findings show that Internet users should be really cautious when downloading software, movies, music, and screensavers, not to mention when visiting sites with adult content,” says Esa Suurio, CEO of Against Intuition, Inc.
“Many of the dangerous websites are well designed and seem reliable, but if you download content from them you may run into problems, even with the latest security software installed on your PC. In particular, spyware can bypass security controls, leaving your computer vulnerable to further attacks.”
“For us, WOT (Web of Trust) is really about creating a platform for people to share their experience of companies, their websites, and the products they offer. Once Internet users adopt this approach, fraudulent and harmful sites will be short-lived,” says Suurio.
Spyware is software that runs on a computer without the permission of its user(s). It tracks users’ online activities, gathers private information from a user’s computer, and sends the resulting data back to the spyware manufacturer over the Internet. Spyware programs can interfere with user control of the computer in other ways also, such as by installing additional software or redirecting web browser activity. Spyware can even change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, a different home page, and loss of Internet or other programs.
Adware is software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material after the software is installed or while the application is being used. Some types of adware are also spyware.
Phishing, the most frequently discussed type of Internet fraud, is an attempt to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, by pretending to be a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out by email that directs the user to visit a bogus website. Common targets of forgery in phishing attacks are PayPal, eBay, and online banks. Usually each phishing attack uses a different short-term website address.
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Technorati tags: WOT, Web of Trust, MyWOT, mywot.com, reputation rating, reputation system, reputation measurement, online reputation, online security, Internet security, online safety, Internet safety, browser extension, Firefox extension, Internet Explorer extension, browser add-on, Firefox add-on, Internet Explorer add-on, anti-spam, anti-phishing, phishing protection, fraud protection, child safety, Against Intuition, content filtering
WOT, Web of Trust
WOT, for "Web of Trust," is the world's first online reputation rating community. It allows Internet users to assess the trustworthiness of websites. WOT is becoming the collective conscience of the web.
Name: Esa Suurio, CEO
Phone: +358 40 716 9301
Address: WOT / Against Intuition, Inc.; Itälahdenkatu 27 A; 00210 Helsinki; Finland
Email: esa.suurio@mywot.com
