55,000 Web Sites Hacked
Researchers with ScanSafe’s security threat alert team have found evidence of malware that has infected 54,900 web sites, many of which are legitimate sites.
The researchers are not sure at this time which vulnerbilites are being exploited in the software programs, but the most common programs under attack include Adobe Flash, Adobe PDF Reader, Apple’s QuickTime, WinZip and RealPlayer.
The researchers recommend that all patches and security updates be installed for Windows and the programs listed above.
Symantec has identified the dirtiest web sites through its web site rating service, Norton Safe Web. Symantec found that these web sites contained on average 18,000 threats per site.
Symantec says there has been exponential growth in the number of online threats that are constantly evolving as cybercriminals look for new ways to target your money, identity, or assets.
For a complete list of the dirtiest web sites for the summer of 2009, click the link below to read the full story.
Internet safety should be a real concern by anyone that uses the Internet. This is due to the exponential growth in online threats in the past several years which centers around stealing your identity, passwords or bank account logons. Anyone is at risk of getting infected with a virus, malware or trojan just by clicking on an infected site. You can get infected simply by visiting an infected site without downloading or clicking on anything in particular.
An Internet user can increase their safety by following these principles.
1. security software that is up-to-date
2. scan PC at least once a week with security software
3. latest browser (see Internet Explorer article below)
4. install latest Windows, Office & other software security updates
5. use caution while browsing
Internet Explorer 8 Outperforms
Internet Explorer (IE) 8.0 outperforms other browsers when it comes to protecting the user from online threats such as malware according to NSS labs in a recent study. According to NSS Labs, IE 8.0 outperforms competing browsers like Google’s Chrome, Mozilla’s Firefox, Opera and Apple’s Safari in terms of protecting their users against malware and phishing attacks.
