Comments on: How Much Spyware is on the Internet http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638 Independent Tech News and Product Reviews from former VP and head of CNET.com and Longtime Computer Shopper Columnist, Alice Hill author of the popular "Hard Edge" column. Originally named AliceandBill.com. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:35:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: » 15 Million Malicious Websites » Blog Archive   Alice Hill’s Real Tech News - Independent Tech http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-100367 Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:27:21 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-100367 [...] Okay, here’s notice that the problems in the internet are not getting better, they are getting worse, Websense announced in a press release that their database of websites that contain malicious code, peer to peer file sharing, spyware, phishing, and 80 some other categories of “bad stuff” has increased to over 15 million. 15 million websites our children could easily surf into, or we could surf into, that would try to take advantage of us somehow. This contradicts the study from Washington University I posted about here, but, that study was just a sample that grabbed data from some websites, it was not a massive undertaking like this one. The Websense Master Database is the most accurate, up-to-date database in the industry. Recent increases to the Master Database reflect the continual growth of the internet as an attack vector by today’s cyber-criminals. The Websense database reached 10 million sites in May 2005 and quickly grew to 15 million sites within approximately eight months. Today, the database includes more than 90 categories, such as spyware, phishing and peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, which organizations can use to protect employees against malicious internet sites as well as set flexible filtering policies for employee web usage. [...] […] Okay, here’s notice that the problems in the internet are not getting better, they are getting worse, Websense announced in a press release that their database of websites that contain malicious code, peer to peer file sharing, spyware, phishing, and 80 some other categories of “bad stuff” has increased to over 15 million. 15 million websites our children could easily surf into, or we could surf into, that would try to take advantage of us somehow. This contradicts the study from Washington University I posted about here, but, that study was just a sample that grabbed data from some websites, it was not a massive undertaking like this one. The Websense Master Database is the most accurate, up-to-date database in the industry. Recent increases to the Master Database reflect the continual growth of the internet as an attack vector by today’s cyber-criminals. The Websense database reached 10 million sites in May 2005 and quickly grew to 15 million sites within approximately eight months. Today, the database includes more than 90 categories, such as spyware, phishing and peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, which organizations can use to protect employees against malicious internet sites as well as set flexible filtering policies for employee web usage. […]

]]> by: E2001 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11619 Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:17:16 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11619 Look for sites containing: Hackz, Crackz, Serialz, MP3z, XXX... You'll get all the malicious software a person could ask for! Look for sites containing: Hackz, Crackz, Serialz, MP3z, XXX…

You’ll get all the malicious software a person could ask for!

]]> by: Jimmy http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11391 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 18:01:47 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11391 Good point Stephen, maybe it is a false sense of security for newbies who click and download everything, we all know them, they are the same ones who forward the stuff that's been floating around the net for years. I myself never make it to the shady sites on the internet too often, occasionally I'll click something I shouldn't have, but not very often. I think the problem is most people don't realize what it can do, and how much it slows down their machines. Good point Stephen, maybe it is a false sense of security for newbies who click and download everything, we all know them, they are the same ones who forward the stuff that’s been floating around the net for years. I myself never make it to the shady sites on the internet too often, occasionally I’ll click something I shouldn’t have, but not very often. I think the problem is most people don’t realize what it can do, and how much it slows down their machines.

]]> by: Stephen http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11389 Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:44:02 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/2638#comment-11389 In the past year the only items either Spybot or Adaware turn up on my machine are some Doubleclick cookies, Avenus A cookies. I do a scan about once every 3 months. I read in forums about people doing scans almost every day with multiple anti-spy apps and finding things all the time. What the hell are they doing out there to pick up all of this stuff? I'm not complaining about being left out but you would think that people would learn after the first hundred times or so as to how to not pick up spyware on their machines. Maybe a good anti-spyware app is not really such a good thing. It enables the truly dim to think that they don't have to be careful about what sites they visit or what toolbar they download as the app will clean their machine. In the past year the only items either Spybot or Adaware turn up on my machine are some Doubleclick cookies, Avenus A cookies. I do a scan about once every 3 months. I read in forums about people doing scans almost every day with multiple anti-spy apps and finding things all the time. What the hell are they doing out there to pick up all of this stuff? I’m not complaining about being left out but you would think that people would learn after the first hundred times or so as to how to not pick up spyware on their machines. Maybe a good anti-spyware app is not really such a good thing. It enables the truly dim to think that they don’t have to be careful about what sites they visit or what toolbar they download as the app will clean their machine.

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