Adult Sites More Secure Than Blogs: Report

In a new report released by prominent security firm Symantec, research shows that adult websites are not the most dangerous on the web. Instead, blogs associated with religion or ideologies offer a far greater chance of infecting a visitor's computer with some form of malware.

Called the Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec's information includes a list of the ten most dangerous types of websites. Surprisingly, adult sites -- which many have long associated with malware and viruses -- are included as number ten.

Adult Sites Don't Need Malware Money

According to the report, religious and ideological sites offer triple the number of threats per infected site, on average, than adult-oriented online pages. (Source: msn.com)

Of the 52 million domains detected to have suffered infections during 2011, Symantec says that just over two per cent could be categorized as "adult" in nature, barely enough to rank as the tenth most dangerous group on the web.

Symantec argues the sites rank no higher in malware danger because their owners tend to earn considerable revenue from Internet traffic, and thus have a vested interest in preventing their sites from infecting their visitors' computers.

As an analogy, consider that strip clubs, however seedy they may be, are unlikely to sell poor quality food that will make their customers sick because they make enough money from their cover and drink charges.

By contrast, many religious and ideology-based blogs don't enjoy the same level of revenue. And while these sites may not seek additional revenue through malware, they may not have the income to prevent hackers from attacking and infecting their systems.

Symantec Blocks 5.5 Billlion Attacks in 2011

The same Symantec report also revealed other startling findings. For example, the company says its security software blocked 5.5 billion (yes, billion) malicious attacks last year, an increase of 81 per cent over 2010. It is entirely likely Symantec was not the only security firm whose blocks increased substantially last year. (Source: pcmag.com)

Symantec points to the emergence of malware on social networking sites (like Facebook) and the increased use of web browsers on devices like smartphones and tablet computers as possible causes for the spike in malware detections.