V
Virus Guy
This is what I said Google should be doing months ago.
See also:
http://www.stopbadware.org/
"If there are sites and applications you'd like us to check out before
you use them, let us know here: http://www.stopbadware.org/home/story"
----------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5251742.stm
Google has started warning users if they are about to visit a webpage
that could harm their computer. The warning will pop up if users click
on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs.
The initiative comes out of a larger project cataloguing programs that
plague people with unwanted ads, spy on web habits or steal personal
data.
Google is one of several companies trying to act as an "in-flight
adviser" to ensure people stay safe online.
The warnings will be seen by anyone using the search engine who clicks
on a link to a site identified as harmful by the Stop Badware
coalition.
Google, PC maker Lenovo and Sun set up this initiative in January 2006
to identify dangerous software and the websites that try to trick
people into installing these malicious programs.
DANGEROUS KEYWORDS
Free screensavers
Bearshare
Screensavers
Winmx
Limewire
Lime wire
Free ringtones
Initially the warnings seen via the search site will be generic and
simply alert people to the fact that a site has been flagged as
dangerous. Eventually the warnings will become more detailed as Stop
Badware researchers visit harmful sites and analyse how they try to
subvert users' machines.
The warning suggests that people try a different site but if they want
to continue to the potentially dangerous webpage Google will not stop
them.
A research report released in May 2006 looked at the safety of the
results returned by a search and found that, on average, 4-6% of the
sites had harmful content on them.
For some keywords, such as "free screensavers" the number of
potentially dangerous sites leapt to 64%.
The keywords are used to entice people to access the website.
The research report was partly sponsored by McAfee's SiteAdvisor which
also warns people when they are about to visit potentially harmful
sites.
Another company ScanSafe has also created the Scandoo search engine
which overlays its warnings on results produced via Google and MSN.
"Most dodgy websites that have spyware or are infected with viruses
come through search," said Eldar Tuvey, chief executive of ScanSafe.
"Because they are the ones that people do not know as well and find
through searching."
See also:
http://www.stopbadware.org/
"If there are sites and applications you'd like us to check out before
you use them, let us know here: http://www.stopbadware.org/home/story"
----------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5251742.stm
Google has started warning users if they are about to visit a webpage
that could harm their computer. The warning will pop up if users click
on a link to a page known to host spyware or other malicious programs.
The initiative comes out of a larger project cataloguing programs that
plague people with unwanted ads, spy on web habits or steal personal
data.
Google is one of several companies trying to act as an "in-flight
adviser" to ensure people stay safe online.
The warnings will be seen by anyone using the search engine who clicks
on a link to a site identified as harmful by the Stop Badware
coalition.
Google, PC maker Lenovo and Sun set up this initiative in January 2006
to identify dangerous software and the websites that try to trick
people into installing these malicious programs.
DANGEROUS KEYWORDS
Free screensavers
Bearshare
Screensavers
Winmx
Limewire
Lime wire
Free ringtones
Initially the warnings seen via the search site will be generic and
simply alert people to the fact that a site has been flagged as
dangerous. Eventually the warnings will become more detailed as Stop
Badware researchers visit harmful sites and analyse how they try to
subvert users' machines.
The warning suggests that people try a different site but if they want
to continue to the potentially dangerous webpage Google will not stop
them.
A research report released in May 2006 looked at the safety of the
results returned by a search and found that, on average, 4-6% of the
sites had harmful content on them.
For some keywords, such as "free screensavers" the number of
potentially dangerous sites leapt to 64%.
The keywords are used to entice people to access the website.
The research report was partly sponsored by McAfee's SiteAdvisor which
also warns people when they are about to visit potentially harmful
sites.
Another company ScanSafe has also created the Scandoo search engine
which overlays its warnings on results produced via Google and MSN.
"Most dodgy websites that have spyware or are infected with viruses
come through search," said Eldar Tuvey, chief executive of ScanSafe.
"Because they are the ones that people do not know as well and find
through searching."