10 Riskiest Internet search terms
June 2, 2009McAfee: Riskiest Internet search terms include free ringtones, lyrics, solitaire, Myspace
BYCATEY HILL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Searching the Web is something many of us do every single day.
But it can be very dangerous.
A recent report from McAfee, a computer security firm, found that cybercriminals use popular search terms to launch software that can infect your computer or steal your identity,ABC News reports.
"Search engines are our on-ramp, our highway and our off-ramp -- they're everything for Web travel,"Shane Keats, a research analyst with McAfee toldABC News. "The hacking community is very smart -- they can spot a trend as well as any trendspotter."
"If you're hacking for profit, the best way to make money is with the largest pool of potential victims," he said. "The biggest crowd is going to be around these trends."
These are the search terms put you at the most risk from hackers:
- Word Unscrambler
- Lyrics
- Printable Fill in Puzzles
- Free Ringtones
- Solitaire
- Free Music
- Free Music Downloands
- MySpace
- Game Cheats
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"Search Engine are our on-ramp, our highway and our off-ramp -- they're everything for Web travel," said Shane Keats, the research analyst with McAfee who led the study. "The Hacking Comunity is very smart -- they can spot a trend as well as any trendspotter."
Just as pickpockets know they'll have the best odds of snatching a wallet on a busy city sidewalk, Internet thieves know they'll have the most luck by targeting crowds.
"If you're hacking for profit, the best way to make money is with the largest pool of potential victims," he said. "The biggest crowd is going to be around these trends."
After analyzing the search terms, Keats and his team found that not only are hackers looking for crowds, they are also attacking Internet surfers who are ready to take an online action, like downloading a ringtone or logging in to a site with a name, address and social security number.For example, people searching for free music downloads are easy targets for hackers because they are expecting to download an mp3.
"They're primed and ready to take an action," Keats said.
Posted by LJAEY LAVOX. Posted In : BREAKING NEWS
