Codebreaker

The worst sites for malware? Religious ones.

John Moe Apr 30, 2012


You’d think it would be porn, right? Nope. The most malware infested sites are ones that lure in web travelers looking for spiritual guidance and fellowship with fellow believers. A new study by Symantec found that religious websites are more than four times as likely as, ahem, adult sites to carry malware, most of it posing as anti-virus software that tricks the user into downloading.
Symantec also offered some pretty bleak news about the rise of malware and phishing in the past year:

Mr. Day drew attention to the increased threat to small and medium enterprises from persistent attacks. “When Stuxnet was uncovered in 2010 we saw about three targeted attacks that year. We are now seeing on average 94 a day, and in December 2011 that figure was 154 a day,” he said.

He said there was a misconception that it is senior executives who were targeted. “We are seeing a lot more attacks against people in sales, or HR.” Likewise, the purpose of the attacks is changing. “They could be going for IP, customer contacts, prices and future plans. It is easier to steal than to innovate.”

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.