Topic: Study finds searches for music, movies, not porn, most dangerous

[Reno]

I thought this was ironic.

There's a silver lining to the cloud hovering above online porn addicts: Surfing for "Hot Babes," "Nude Lindsay Lohan" or other tantalizing terms poses less danger for a run-in with computer damaging spyware and spam than searching for the latest movie and music downloads.

Four percent of all Web searches -- or roughly 276 million searches a month -- done via the likes of search engines such as Google! Yahoo and MSN turn up Web sites riddled with unwanted ads or worse, according to a study released yesterday by software security firm McAfee Inc.

A simple search for "digital music" has the greatest risk -- 19.1 percent of the results lead to sites loaded with spyware, viruses and other online maladies that threaten a person's privacy, financial information and their computer's health.

The upside, McAfee reported, is that search engines are safer than they were last year, when it reported that 5 percent of all Web searches delivered ominous results.

To root out the risks, study co-author and Harvard professor Ben Edelman analyzed the top 50 results delivered from more than 2,000 popular search words used on Web search sites such as Google, Ask.com, MSN, Yahoo and AOL, which account for 93 percent of Internet searches.

Web underdog AOL showed the safest results, with only 3 percent of its searches delivering dangerous Web sites, while Yahoo! appeared to be the worst, with more than 5 percent of its results tagged "risky."

Dr. Edelman said "risky" sites were ones "you wouldn't want your parents, siblings or friends to visit -- at least without extra warning."

Web surfers also are advised to watch out for "sponsored" results -- links that advertisers pay to have turn up in a shaded box at the top or side or bottom of a search results page -- because they are more than twice as likely to cause harm as regular search results, the report said.

It figures that nearly 7 percent of so called "sponsored" or paid search results, pose risks, said Robbin Steif, chief executive officer of South Side-based Web consulting firm Lunametrics Inc.

The spam and hacking subculture is very sophisticated, so it makes sense that they would be using the same search tricks that legitimate businesses use to reel-in Web surfers, although "they aren't succeeding as much as they used to," she said.

The number of toxic "sponsored" results has toned down since last year, when 15 percent were troublesome, namely because of Web giant Google's efforts to boost search safety.

Even though McAfee is "encouraged" by this year's report showing a boost in Web search safety, the California-based firm still paints a picture of the Web as a digital jungle since four out of five site visits start with a search engine query and that anyone doing at least 10 searches a day is likely to stumble across something unsafe.

Whether it's for sex or for sewing, the more a consumer searches, the more they put themselves at risk, according to Dr. Edelman.

He said clicking on the results provided by five Google searches boost the consumer's risk of encountering an unsafe site to 17 percent. "Continue that searching at the same speed for a week, and it's highly likely that the user will reach an unsafe site," he said.

Those prowling for free digital downloads of music and movies are more at risk. Searches for file sharing Web sites such as Kazaa, LimeWire or Bearshare are like playing virtual Russian roulette with a computer's health since more than 30 percent and up to 45 percent of those queries lead to trouble.

Less dangerous is trolling the Web using so-called "adult" keywords -- 9.4 percent of those searches yield dangerous results, according to McAfee.

If fear of what's lurking on the Web is cause for concern, Internet users need to keep the risks in perspective, said Boston-based search engine marketing consultant Greg Jarboe, noting that most risks remain in the single digits.

Still, consumers should think twice before they click on an unfamiliar link, sign-up for something online, provide personal information or make a purchase, said Dr. Edelman.

"No one out there should be clicking naked. Whether you click on 'sponsored' search results, or open e-mail from your friends, you should have a virus checker," said Ms. Steif. "And I don't use McAfee so I'm not ringing their bell."

source

[sam]

sounds about right... especially with people using those kazaa/limewire like networks still ... argh!

[Simon]

I have used Limewire for years, and never had anything nasty off it, which my AV hasn't intercepted.  Sure, if you download programs, you are opening yourself up, and viruses are extremely rife among this field, but if you simply use it for MP3s, and stick to what obviously ARE MP3s, you can't go far wrong. 

As usual, it's all down to educating users how to use their PC safely, to recognise the signs of what is likely to be trouble, and, of course, to have adequate, updated security and anti-virus protection.

[Reno]

Limewire is kind of dead simons. Last time i used limewire i got broken files, ad trash, and malware. If your going to use one use an open source p2p like emule. Either use emule or learn to use torrents.

[Lona]

Limewire is OK for the odd track, Bob, where, as with torrents you have to download the whole album. I've never had any nasties from Limewire either, but I use the Pro version. 

[Simon]

Limewire is OK for the odd track, Bob, where, as with torrents you have to download the whole album. I've never had any nasties from Limewire either, but I use the Pro version. 

I know how to use Torrents, thanks Bobs.    I did try emule once, but found available material very limited.

Lona, if you use uTorrent, you don't have to download the whole album, as you can select individual tracks if you want to. 

[Reno]

I still have the pro version of lime installed, its just a last resort for finding something rare. I tend to use emule if i can't find it in a torrent. That wasn't the way i meant to say that. Learn to use torrents as in getting in the habit of using them.

The azureus client lets you pick and choose what parts you want to download too. It's probably the best torrent client out there.

here

[sam]

or for music you could you soulseek http://www.slsknet.org/