We have all done it, typed in the wrong website address and ended up at website designed to capitalize off a more popular website. For instance, type in facebok.com and you’ll come to a page with a similar blue board, offering you electronics at a bargain prices. In a recent report from MacAfee, they published a report on the five riskiest URL domains. These domains are meant for countries or other types of sites.
MacAfee reported the domain for the country of Macaroon as the most sought after domain for malicious websites. Though difficult to find, these hackers make use of a common type of “.cm”, instead “.com”. These websites are designed to look like the sites the user meant to access, and typically lead to malicious downloads rather than spam or phishing. The second most dangerous domain is .com. You might be surprised, but this domain is the most heavily used, so we would expect a high amount of malicious sites, even if it’s a lower rate than the other domains. The third riskiest domain is “.cn”, the domain for Chinese websites. Though typically viewed as the origins of most malicious code, MacAfee reports that most likely these domains are where malicious programs are transferred to domains before the attacks are implemented. Another national domain that has a high a ratio of risky domains is the Samoan domain “.ws”. A final dangerous domain is “.info”. According to MacAfee, it is the “riskiest email top level domain with 17.2% of sites with sign-ups leading to unwanted email”.
It is useful to be able to recognize dangerous domains, even when the rest of the address appears correct. I wonder if browsers will soon come with technology that autocorrects the most common URLs to avoid these dangers. One more thing, type in Gewgle.com and see what site you go to!
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/security-bytes/the-world%E2%80%99s-top-5-riskiest-top-level-domains/
Monday, December 7, 2009
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I know that I've mistyped facebook before and ended up with a huge pornography site coming up. This isn't only a problem for people and their computer security, but also for things like children accessing sites that they shouldn't. I think you only have to be 13 or so now to have a Facebook. What if a 13 year old types that same thing wrong. I'm sure there are similar things with other popular sites that kids as old as 5 try and access. That's another reason for filters and security monitoring of computers.
ReplyDeleteI have a huge problem with hosts or servers allowing these websites to exist. They have obviously created a huge problem in the security world and have the capability to upload malicious code onto a users computer. I feel like servers should be liable in situations like these and should prevent such websites form existing. When I read this article, I immediately opened up a new browser and entered facebok.com. When I tried to exit the browser popup windows occured slowing my computer down and not allowing me to leave the website I accessed. It brought me to a similar website that definitely infringed copyrighted material owned by facebook, including the logo and symbol. Larger corporations such as Facebook and servers should remove thee websites from existing.
ReplyDeleteOne way to address this problem on the individual level is to employ OpenDNS. This is a free DNS resolution service that has specific filters to address occurrences like these. It collects lists of malicious sites, primarily those focused on phishing schemes, and will correct typos in order to prevent traffic to these sites. Connected to this site is an open forum, where users can bring to light the newest scams occurring with web-site domains, which would prove especially useful in this example.
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