Online security firm Websense has released a report that claims most internet users are ‘only two clicks away’ from malware. While most people already understand that the web is like an ocean in which sharks, barracudas and jellyfish lurk unseen just below the surface, what may come as a surprise are the primary areas in which these hidden terrors hide.
In the general public’s mind, porn and gambling sites are widely believed to be veritable cesspools of malicious coding, and there’s undeniably some dirtbags out there who might seed their bottom-tier sites with God knows what. But according to Websense’s findings, the greater threat comes from popular news sites, message boards and social networking sites. These sites may not actually deliver malware, but over 70% of top media sites, message boards and forums, plus more than 50% of social networking sites, fall under Websense’s ‘two links of separation’ formula.
Bottom line, the online gaming industry isn’t malware-free, but neither is it deserving of any greater condemnation than any other sector of cyberspace.
