2010 Threat Report Highlights 'The Web is Getting More Dangerous'

The year 2010 has been eventful in the computer security world with the discovery of new sophisticated malware parasites that have taken on a whole new method of attack sometimes even threatening nuclear proliferation. A new 2010 Threat Report released by Websense reveals that the Web is getting more dangerous which is not surprising to know since so many new resources are readily available to hackers and cybercrooks around the world.

The Internet has turned into a virtual battlefield and if you have been a recent victim of a cybercrime or your computer has succumbed to some type of malware, you know exactly what we are talking about. The notion of computer users being attacked through sites that contain objectionable content is a dying thought. Because hackers and cybercrooks consistently use more sophisticated means to attack sites, they now seek out legitimate sites or ones that are trusted by a large population. In addition, hackers thrive on breaking news and popular subject matter to gain the attention of their next cyber-victim.

In the recent 2010 Websence Threat Report, it reveals its findings that searching for breaking trends and current news represented a 22.4% chance, slightly higher than the 21.6% chance that users will search for objectionable content on the Internet. But you can rest assured that hackers have both angles covered. How well do they have it covered? Let's just say that the number of poisoned search results over the web has gone up over 111% compared to last year (2009). The scary part of this finding is about 80% of these poisoned sites were legitimate web pages that were compromised.

The 2010 Threat Report goes on to explain that the United States was the top country for hosting crimeware and phishing sites this year. Over half of the data stealing attacks occurred over the web instead of being an isolated hack-job. That means hackers and cybercrooks are going remote and attacking data infrastructures from unknown locations. All of these factors make it more and more difficult for authorities to catch the culprits and makes the chance of Internet crime a never-ending battle.

What can computer users do now to avoid becoming the next statistic in reports such as the 2010 Websense Threat Report? Education is the key. The better educated a computer user that frequently uses the web becomes with threats over the Internet, the less likely they will become a statistic. With education come proactive steps that computer users will take to keep themselves protected. These steps include the simple task of installing and running an up-to-date antivirus and/or antispyware application.

Remember, the Internet can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Below are several tips and resources that we have provided to help you safely surf the web:

1. Top 5 Tips to Avoid Online Identity Theft Traps
2. Do Hackers Have Your Credit Card? Prevent Online and Credit Card Identity Theft Fraud
3. Top 6 Crucial Tips to Avoid Malware via Twitter
4. Top 5 Social Networking Security Tips for Your Kids
5. How To Stop The Top 5 Hidden Computer Security Threats
6. How To Recognize and Avoid Clickjacking Attacks on Facebook