Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > May > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGet your free virus here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here! drive-by-download.info.”
What a deal and it’s free too. The ad online promised to infect your computer with a virus.
It was an offer that people just couldn’t pass up. More than 400 computer users clicked to get the virus (since the Web site was a test by a researcher, no computers really were infected.)
Most computer security experts that I know think that the weak link in security is always going to be the user. I find it hard to disagree.
Another thing to note - the fellow paid Google to get better placement in search results for his ad. So - at the very least - it doesn’t seem like there was stringent checking by Google.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Viruses, spam, adware, etc.
Comments
By C. Henry Adams & BIE
May 21, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
Bill,
I’m pretty sure out of the 260,000 (rounded up)times the ad was displayed; the 409 times that a click occurred could be narrowed down to a number of factors listed below:
1) Same person from same ISP (even though IP Address may change due to DHCP) maybe clicking the button to catch the virus on a computer of a person they hate or maybe mad with…
2) A Kid or Kids playing on their Parent’s Computer where important data like “Quick Books” may exist.
3) A Person or Persons with a Sixth- Grade Mentalty (Moron) may be surfing the net seeking fun in a very strange & ignorant way.
4) A anti-virus computer forensic team maybe trying to capture the virus.
Regarding Google making sales to unsuspected person or persons that attack via these ads…I don’t think that they would do it intentionally, but then we all know people make mistakes sometimes…let’s ask Google.
Just a thought.
C. Henry Adams & BIE http://www.networkingmenu.com