Report: Many evils lurk in the “dark corners” of the Internet

StopBadware.org’s ‘Trends in Badware 2007′ report identifies some of the most popular attack vectors currently in use by malware writers, while providing a good primer on the topic of malware for the non-technically-inclined.

This is an excellent report written in plain english - and awareness to an important part of the battle. Might be useful to give to anyone who doesn’t ‘get’ the technical stuff…

(Via Ars Technica.)

Protecting yourself while surfing the web is essential. Unfortunately, your computer’s security is not entirely dependent on the software you’re running. Security depends just as much on your surfing habits and the sites you choose to visit—and avoid. A recent report (PDF) from StopBadware.org called “Trends in Badware 2007: What Internet Users Need to Know,” stresses the importance of being careful where you click.

One of the most surprising statistics in Stopbadware.org’s report concerns smaller, personal websites. StopBadware.org’s growing list of websites in its “Badware Website Clearinghouse,” which is provided by Google, now numbers over 200,000 infected sites.

In order to protect yourself as best you can, StopBadware.org suggests that you run both antivirus and antispyware software, and make sure that you keep it up to date. The site also recommends that users set their OS to automatically install critical updates and use a software or hardware firewall. If you’re unsure of what to install, or how to further protect yourself, StopBadware.org also offers a discussion community to help beginners. While it seems rudimentary, the “Trends in Badware” report reinforces the importance of skeptical computing and serves as a reminder to be vigilant against malware.

See original artcile by Todd Haselton.