The most dangerous search keywords on the Internet

Accessing pornographic pages, gambling or downloading MP3s can cause spyware to become infected. However, a new study shows that the system is also at risk even when users look up information with seemingly harmless keywords.

Two American researchers Hannah Rosenbaum and Ben Edelman tested 1,394 the most popular keywords on the search tool bars of Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and Ask. They found that all of the leading search programs now show links to insecure sites. Even unreliable websites account for 72% of the results when people type words like "free screensavers" (free screen saver software), "free ringtones" (free ringtones) , "digital music" (digital music), "popular software" (popular software), "singers" (singers) .

The most dangerous keywords

1. Free screensavesr
2. Bearshare
3. Screensavers
4. Winmx
5. Limewire
6. Download Yahoo messenger
7. Lime wire
8. Free ringtones

Search results are analyzed using Site Advisor security tool. This tool evaluates a low-risk site when it only changes browser settings and directs users to advertising sites. The site will be classified as serious when it attacks the system with spyware.

About 4 - 6% of the paths are rated serious. This is an alarming number because Americans are doing nearly 6 billion searches a month, meaning there will be an average of 285 million times of unsafe connections in just 30 days. " Only once on a dangerous site will leave lasting consequences, not to mention it spreads to the system of many others, " Edelman recommends.

The security risk is even increased by two to four times when users click on sponsored links (companies pay search providers to have their website displayed at the top of the search results. .

" Where the Internet users go, the attacker will follow them there. The search service plays a particularly important role in everyone's browsing habits, so it accidentally becomes a playback tool. Top virus spreads , "said Ben Edelman. " Search pages need to set certain rules to protect users ' computers."

According to US security firm McAfee, a survey by Hannah Rosenbaum and Ben Edelman is the first detailed study of the safety of search engines.

TN