Most Malware Now Comes From Legitimate SitesMost Malware Now Comes From Legitimate Sites
Biggest danger is no longer purpose-built malicious sites, but legit sites that are unwittingly distributing dangerous code
January 23, 2008

The number of genuine Websites compromised by hackers is, for the first time, larger than the number of malicious Websites purposefully created by cyber criminals, according to a report by Websense Security Labs.
Fifty-one percent of the sites classified as "malicious" are now compromised Websites, rather than sites built specifically by attackers, the researchers said.
"These sites pose a significant risk, because many security companies rely on Web site reputation to protect customers," the report says. "Compromised sites have a good reputation... This raises the effectiveness of the attacks."
In its own 2008 security threat report, security vendor Sophos said this week that every day, 6,000 new Websites are infected with malware. Eighty-three percent of these are legitimate pages infected by hackers, Sophos said.
"It's the fault of the people who own the Websites," said a Sophos researcher. "They haven't secured their sites. The problem is that the owners might not be technical."
— Tim Wilson, Site Editor, Dark Reading
Websense Inc. (Nasdaq: WBSN)
Read more about:
2008About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
Hacking Your Digital Identity: How Cybercriminals Can and Will Get Around Your Authentication Methods
Oct 26, 2023Modern Supply Chain Security: Integrated, Interconnected, and Context-Driven
Nov 06, 2023How to Combat the Latest Cloud Security Threats
Nov 06, 2023Reducing Cyber Risk in Enterprise Email Systems: It's Not Just Spam and Phishing
Nov 01, 2023SecOps & DevSecOps in the Cloud
Nov 06, 2023