Microsoft Goes From Cellar to Stellar in New Antivirus Test

[ThrashZone]

I believe Yahoo was a very good example of neglected maintenance of the adds they host,
So when a site is neglectful yes they are serving malware... willingly or not

The sad part is site maintenance is the responsibility of the site not the public which is at a all time low so no there's no such animal as a safe site

I've read many times people saying add a site to the safe sites list in ie it's just crazy :/

 

[jimbo45]

Exactly, not sure why people keep believing that if they stay on "safe" sites they are safe. There is no such thing as a "safe site".

Misinformation pushed by the anti-Piracy and anti-Porn rabble.

I wouldn't be surprised to discover that "organised crime sites" are actually the safest.
After all, if you mess with their "pie", they will find you and they will hurt you.

Hi there

all these warnings are TOTALLY OVERBLOWN and are probably last ditch attempts by some so called security managers trying to keep their jobs in view of the decreasing importance of this type of attack on computers.

Why on earth would any LEGIT site serve up Malware -- there is utterly no point in it -- and would totally reduce confidence in that companies products. Any sensible commercial website will be constantly monitored to prevent this happening - and if they don't do this then the fact should be spread around the web --DO NOT USE SITE XXX.

I can't think of a single instance of a legit BUSINESS site serving up Malware -- @ A. GUY -- PLEASE POST DETAILS OF WHAT LEGIT SITES HAVE SERVED UP MALWARE and for how long.

I can't say I've ever known anybody booking a hotel, train, plane or bus, or checking Banks / Utility bills to have been dished up with malware --if they had it would be all over the Internet.

Most of this "Security Gig" is totally overblown (as far as individuals are concerned). I'm sure the only people who actually get malware are those using dubious sites or torrents in the first place. Hackers these days want MONEY and there's no money to be made in simply inserting some Malware on a Pensioners computer !!.

Attacking corporate is another matter but I'm sure there's people who have NEVER had any kind of Virus / Malware even with NO AV installed on their systems at all.

Guess its all in my head then, not like I haven't seen this first hand. Whew glad I am safe. So I guess the thousands of sites that were compromised with malware, yahoo, cnet, ny times (I could go on and on) over the last several years was all just a made up report? (Yahoo was ads.) Ads are a major issue.

Sure, I am sure that some security researchers out there try to scare customers with reports. But you have to look at the proof. Android has scare reports all the time. Almost all the malware spoken about is from outside app stores or apps side loaded. But in the report they have the little * to note that. When you go to a news site though they simply post the title and some of the report and call it a article. You have to read the actual report yourself.

It happens all the time. Sometimes you do not even hear about it, as the website keeps it quiet. Or they pay people off to be quiet. Malware is not getting less in the world, it is growing. To the point of anti-virus software not being enough anymore. Between Keyloggers, zero access, bitcoin miners, threats where the very part that protects your info on the site (SSL), vulnerabilities like heartbleed (I guess that was made up as well?) there is more than enough threats out there. There have been people infected simply by loading a webpage, and that will not change. I know, as I have seen it fist hand and reproduce it. People go to there same routine "safe" websites every day. They can still be infected and deliver malware.

But apparently that is all Fud so that security researchers can keep there jobs right? Just remember that your pc can never be guaranteed clean. Some threats sit there for years on your pc, waiting to activate.

The average malware no longer makes it obvious or announces it presence that it is on the pc. Instead, it silently watches everything. Until it is to late.

I'm sure the only people who actually get malware are those using dubious sites or torrents in the first place. Hackers these days want MONEY and there's no money to be made in simply inserting some Malware on a Pensioners computer !!.

That's like saying the only people who get robbed are in bad neighborhoods. Sure the threat is great in a bad area, but it can easily happen in a good town as well. And that is not correct either, there is lots of money to be made.

No need to buy a tinfoil hat, but don't ignore the threats out there either.

Hi there.

Judging by some people who baulk at paying a small amount of money for a professional decent Backup program I doubt if some hacker took over the ENTIRE machine they couldn't make any serious money.

The only way they could make money is into scamming you into paying you for a service you don't want, didn't order or physically doesn't exist -- and these days if a Credit Card is used you get your money back (at least in the EU). - Note there's limited protection on DEBIT cards so actually buying online is SAFER potentially with a Credit Card than a Debit card. !! Strange but true -- that's the mysterious ways Banks work.

People who fall victims to online scams etc aren't duped due to Viruses or even Malware - but by getting involved in ordering stuff that they don't mean to or not reading CAREFULLY the SMALL PRINT.

I'll bet on this very site there are loads of people from the UK who don't know the difference between a Direct Debit Mandate, a Standing Order and the most evil one of the lot a Continuous payment authority

--- READ VERY CAREFULLY the small print on how you pay for things on the net -- a 2 GBP Continuous payment authority can rapidly escalate to empty your Bank account without you having to sign anything and they can just take as much money whenever they like -- these are spotted if they ask for "The long Card number" - they can just "Raid" your account until it is empty - and Banks aren't very happy at stopping these at all. !!

Typically Porn sites and a lot of subscriptions are done this way -- and if the service is offshore you've got a HORRENDOUS problem -- these are far more deadly than mere computer viruses or malware.

If you want to subscribe to a regular service ensure it's paid preferably by Standing order or at least by Direct Debit. Never accept a Continuous Payment Authority -- and if the Vendor insists - then just walk away.

This info is probably related more to UK customers but the same sort of stuff might be operating in US Banks as well under possibly a different name.

Continuous payment authority: recurring payments - Money Saving Expert

Cheers
jimbo

 

[A Guy]

jimbo, no one ever said a legit site knowingly served up malware, that is preposterous! The point was legit sites can, and do serve up malware, either through ads or iframe injections, etc. A list? How about ZDNet, The Guardian, TheStreet.com, Boston.com, CNET News.com, The New York Times and The Huffington Post?

Major Websites Tagged With Malware Notice After Ad Distributor Hacked

That is but one example of course. Anyone who regularly reads security news knows that major sites have served up malware, not always ads, and sometimes for more then a week.

Cisco says the #1 category that leads the list of top locations for the likelihood of malware infections is “dynamic content,” which the vendor defines as content delivery systems such as web statistics, site analytics, and other non-advertising-related third party content. Content delivery networks (CDNs) serve a large fraction of the Internet content today, including web objects (text, graphics, URLs and scripts), downloadable objects (media files, software, documents), applications (e-commerce, portals), live streaming media, on-demand streaming media, and social networks. In other words, it’s all the stuff that people surf the Internet for.

If CDNs are #1 for delivering drive-by malware, what’s #2? That dubious distinction goes to online advertising, which, according to Cisco, accounts for more than 16% of total web malware encounters. This makes sense as more businesses allow third party advertising on their websites. The businesses aren’t responsible for the advertising content, which unfortunately makes it a prime method for cyber criminals to set their malware in motion. Respectable organizations such as the New York Times and the Google and Microsoft ad networks have been known to host advertising that delivers malware, dubbed “malvertising” by Cisco.

#3 on the list for serving up malware are the business and industry websites. According to the Cisco report: Online gaming is in fourth place, followed by Web hosting sites and search engines in fifth and sixth places, respectively. The top 20 website categories are absent of sites typically thought of as malicious. There is a healthy mix of popular and legitimate site types such as online shopping (#8), news (#13), and SaaS/business-to-business applications (#16).

http://www.securitybistro.com/?p=5384

A Guy

 

[whs]

I once caught a keylogger when downloading something from FileHippo which was always considered a 100% safe site. At that time I had NIS installed and it caught it.

 

[mjf]

Who do you believe :huh:

I've been using Norton for a few years and it doesn't get a mention in this ranking. I've never seen McAfee get a positive vote here yet it is rated No. 2.

 

[andrew129260]

Misinformation pushed by the anti-Piracy and anti-Porn rabble.

I wouldn't be surprised to discover that "organised crime sites" are actually the safest.
After all, if you mess with their "pie", they will find you and they will hurt you.

Guess its all in my head then, not like I haven't seen this first hand. Whew glad I am safe. So I guess the thousands of sites that were compromised with malware, yahoo, cnet, ny times (I could go on and on) over the last several years was all just a made up report? (Yahoo was ads.) Ads are a major issue.
...

I meant, that is why people believe in the "Safe Sites" myth.

Sorry, I guess I did not read it right

 

[lehnerus2000]

@Lehnerus 2000 - You are right -- Back in London in the late 60's the KRAY BROTHERS (East end criminals of some notoriety) actually kept the East End safe -- nobody dared mess with them "on their own patch" and ordinary people actually felt quite safe. At a funeral HUGE crowds turned out rather to the consternation of the local Police !!. -- I'm not suggesting Law and Order should be handed over to the Mafia but I see where you are coming from !!

East End says farewell to last of the Krays - Telegraph

It reminds me of the scene in "Life of Brian", when the Jewish Revolutionaries are trying to work out their list of demands.
(The bit where Public Order is mentioned, about 1:40 in).


In the real world, it reminds me of how some people wanted the old Soviet system back (to maintain law and order).

Sorry, I guess I did not read it right

No problems.
It's not like I haven't done that myself.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

In the real world, it reminds me of how some people wanted the old Soviet system back (to maintain law and order).

That is happening now, doesn't make sense what your saying !

 

[lehnerus2000]

Eh?

In the real world, it reminds me of how some people wanted the old Soviet system back (to maintain law and order).

That is happening now, doesn't make sense what your saying !

How about:

• The only people causing trouble in Police States are the police?
• "Law and Order" trumps freedom (the current big threat in Western countries)?

Public Order is maintained by the ones with the biggest clubs (see the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" movie).

There are a lot of discussion at the moment hypothesizing that Iraq wouldn't be experiencing ISIL problems, if Saddam was still in charge.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

In the real world, it reminds me of how some people wanted the old Soviet system back (to maintain law and order).

That is happening now, doesn't make sense what your saying !

How about:

• The only people causing trouble in Police States are the police?
• "Law and Order" trumps freedom (the current big threat in Western countries)?

Public Order is maintained by the ones with the biggest clubs (see the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" movie).

There are a lot of discussion at the moment hypothesizing that Iraq wouldn't be experiencing ISIL problems, if Saddam was still in charge.

That makes sense, and I agree !