Symantec Lists 100 ''Dirtiest'' Websites
Yesterday Symantec revealed the top 100 Dirtiest Websites of Summer 2009, or rather the "worst of the worst," generating its list from the number of threats Norton Safe Web has detected as of August 2009. According to the report, 48-percent of those websites listed are adult-based, consisting of malware, browser exploits and security risks. However the list also includes websites focusing on other content such as deer hunting, catering, figure skating, legal services, and buying electronics.
"Simply clicking through to a site with these threats could put you at risk of exposing your computer to infection, and worse, put your identity, personal and financial information into the hands of cybercriminals," the company said.
Symantec provided thirty samples including aladel.net, an American-based site offering a whopping 56,371 threats including the Downloader trojan. Sportsmanclub.net, also based in the U.S., racked up 8,768 threats while U.S.-based purplehoodie.com listed 8,743 threats, also using the Downloader trojan.
"This list underscores what our research shows -- 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. In 2008, most new infections occurred while people were surfing the Web(1)," said Rowan Trollope, senior vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec. "Norton Safe Web provides visual ratings that let consumers know about potential risks before visiting a site. Armed with this information, consumers are empowered to make informed decisions about which sites to visit."
Symantec goes on to state that the average number of threats per malicious site rated by Norton Safe Web is 23; for the sites listed on the Dirtiest Websites list, the average is a whopping 18,000 per site. To throw in more confusing numbers, the average is more than 20,000 per site for the list's nastiest destinations, the Top 40.
"Being dirty is nothing new for 75 percent of sites on the list, which have distributed malware for more than six months," the company said.
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They don't post the whole list, but a few 'bad' ones.
I went to a few of them, other than lack of content, I feel fi%$#aw3lnasfdoi!@#%ndfae43^@dcv3^!Jv12c34cJF!435123v
Where's the dam list? I only clicked on this article to see the list!
The hell is this where the list. I want to test my anti virus software to the limit!
lol, just the names of the websites make them look really sketchy
... one of the bad anti-virus companies talks about dirty sites... hmmm...
http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
... maybe there is a time for TOM's to do a review or comparison, a test, benchmark with the many antiviruses out there... that would be an interesting article...
Now everyones gonna go check these sites out....
After all my years I think www.serials.ws is the worst
Am I the only one who immediately thought this was a porn related article? The title practically read " 100 greates porn sites" ughghgh.
Heh, i use Linux
Hmmm. They better have www.symantec.com on there, lol.
So, can Tom's go visit the top 100 and report back on the virus software that protected the best. Obviously, Norton's app will protect against the "listed threats" here, since they created the list, but it would be interesting to see how AVG, Avast, Avira, etc... stack up.
When they say some of these have been up for years, what I don't get is why an investigation hasn't been done into the owners / operators of the dirty sites. Innocent until proven guilty, if the latter they should be executed, preferably as they hear a loud buzzer and see "GAME OVER" in lights.
Heh, i use Linux
I used ubuntu for a week and it got a bunch of viruses.
With the new "Not Internet Explorer" you can go to any of those sites
That's why I use Firefox 3.5.2 with the Adblock Plus and NoScript extensions. There is no way that threats, like these sites have, can be downloaded on my computer with that winning combination.
Using IE on the web is like bringing your child to a pedophile convention with a 'take me' sign on their chest.
Firefox + Adblock Plus and NoScript or the sandboxed mode in Chrome are the safest ways to surf currently.
"Yes honey... I assure you I caught that virus on a figure-skating website!"
That's a new handy trick!
Uh, yes we know who they are..., why not shut them down?
Am I the only one who immediately thought this was a porn related article? The title practically read " 100 greates porn sites" ughghgh.
The only reason I read this article is because I thought there would be links to stuff with animals and midgets.
... one of the bad anti-virus companies talks about dirty sites... hmmm... http://anti-virus-software-review. [...] ws.com/... maybe there is a time for TOM's to do a review or comparison, a test, benchmark with the many antiviruses out there... that would be an interesting article...
Even if they aren't the best, doesn't mean they don't know about security.
So, can Tom's go visit the top 100 and report back on the virus software that protected the best. Obviously, Norton's app will protect against the "listed threats" here, since they created the list, but it would be interesting to see how AVG, Avast, Avira, etc... stack up.
That would be a good idea! Toms, get on it now!
*updating favourites now*
Well if symantec say it's bad then you can almost garuntee it's 2-3x worse since they can't detect squat with Norton lol
Funny how you have to enable JavaScript just to view the list on Norton's site . . .
Thoroughly disappointing... I went to all of the pages mentioned in the list, in IE 6, in a fresh, pre-servicepack install of XP. And nothing happened.
Thoroughly disappointing... I went to all of the pages mentioned in the list, in IE 6, in a fresh, pre-servicepack install of XP. And nothing happened.
Just wait a day or two XD
As fvox13 and others did, I spent a couple of hours going to the subset of websites listed and specifically visited the pages they said had "naughtyware". Did this from a VM totally exposed.
To my disappointment, not a single virus or trojan, not even an annoying popup. (found some good ebooks though :-) Thank you Symantec)
There is no question that there are plenty of websites out there that are undesirable places to visit but, I get a feeling that Symantec and other companies are spreading FUD to sell their "great" software.
IMHO, the fact that none of the Web sites listed had a single "annoyance" makes the list quite suspicious as to its quality and purpose.
It's not that hard to find some "nastyware", Google any of the terms "crack", "keygen", "serial" (or all of them together) and visit some of the results. It won't be long before you have "visitors".
Heh, i use Linux
So you are immune to viruses? All it means is that virus writers dont target Linux because you dont present a large enough field of infection. If Linux was in Windows position and had 90%+ of the market there would be a lot more viruses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware
Keep wishing for more popularity and you will simply invite more viruses, its the price of success...
Get a MAC and surf all you want, Norton and Symantec SUCK!!! Great idea, create a problem and then sell the solution..... eat balls!
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