Internet users 'must be aware of drive-by downloads'
6th Dec 2011 at 11:57
People with any internet connection - from poor ADSL to satellite broadband - should be aware of the dangers of drive-by downloads.
This is possibly the most common way malware is distributed nowadays, Data Defender director Graeme Batsman explained.
Email and USB drives used to be a popular method of spreading malicious software, but have fallen out of favour in recent years, the expert stated.
Drive-by downloads occur when a website, which can be genuine, is utilised by criminals to spread malware, he declared.
Mr Batsman said the page is simply hijacked and all visitors to it are vulnerable, with PC-to-PC spreading also possible after someone's computer has been infected.
He noted a large proportion of all cyber attacks are on home and office internet users nowadays.
Some criminals have become particularly audacious at the moment and have even taken to hiring call centres in the Phillipines or India to "sell phony software or support packages", the expert remarked.
It is vital to keep virus protection software up-to-date, as online threats are particularly adaptive, Norton security expert Simon Ellson recently stated.
