ScanSafe Reports up to 80 Percent of Blogs Host "Offensive Content"

April 23, 2007; 09:37 AM
ScanSafe, the pioneer and leading provider of Web Security-as-a-Service, today issued its latest monthly Global Threat Report. Among the report’s key findings, up to 80 percent of blogs contain potentially offensive content, which can range from adult language to pornographic images, and about 6 percent of blogs host malware. The most requested blog-related site during the month was blogger.com.

The ScanSafe Global Threat Report is based on real-time analysis of more than 7 billion Web requests scanned and more than 12 million Web threats blocked by the company in March on behalf of its corporate customers. It is the largest analysis of Web security threats based on real-world traffic.

“Blogs are a great vehicle for self-expression and the exchange of ideas,” said Dan Nadir, vice president, product strategy, ScanSafe. “Employees visiting these sites can unknowingly expose corporate networks to legal liability, viruses and loss of proprietary information.

“The content on blogs and other sites powered by user contributed content is constantly changing. As a result, Web security solutions that rely on Web crawling—or periodically scouring the Web for threats—rather than actually scanning the URL each time it is requested, can leave users exposed to malware and unwanted content,” he added.

The top 5 malware programs found on blogs:

1. Trojan.Win32.Diamin.js

2. Trojan-Downloader.VBS.Small.ca

3. Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Delf.acc

4. Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Agent.bfd

5. Trojan.JS.Cardst,1,1

Spyware and Web Filtering Blocks Increase

In addition to its data on blogs, ScanSafe also reported it saw a 34 percent increase in spyware in March, following a 2 percent decline in February.

“The upswing in spyware is consistent with the seasonal ebb and flow,” Nadir said. “We see these peaks and valleys in malware, but the overall trend is an upward one.”

Nadir added that in 2006, ScanSafe saw an overall increase in spyware of 254 percent.

In addition to the spike in spyware, ScanSafe reported that Web filtering blocks increased 38 percent in March. The increase in Web blocks may be partly attributable to “March Madness” in the U.S.—which describes the intense popularity surrounding the annual NCAA Division 1 Basketball Championship tournament and the accompanying online traffic resulting from users looking to access streaming game video, place a bet or just IM with friends about the tournament.

The latest ScanSafe Global Threat Report is available online at http://www.scansafe.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/3717/gtr_mar2007_v4.pdf

About ScanSafe

ScanSafe is the largest global provider of Web Security-as-a-Service, ensuring a safe and productive Internet environment for businesses. ScanSafe solutions keep viruses and spyware off corporate networks and allow businesses to control and secure the use of the Web and instant messaging. As a fully managed service, ScanSafe's solutions require no hardware, upfront capital costs or maintenance and provide unparalleled real-time threat protection. Powered by its proactive, multilayered Outbreak Intelligence^TM threat detection technology, ScanSafe scans more than 7 billion Web requests and blocks 12 million threats each month for customers in over 30 countries.

Since pioneering the market for Web Security-as-a-Service, ScanSafe continues to deliver innovative Web security solutions, including the introduction of the world’s first early warning system which scans and classifies search engine results based on the presence of malware and unwanted content. In addition to being part of its corporate Web security service, the safe search technology is available to consumers as a free service at www.scandoo.com.

With offices in London and San Mateo, California, ScanSafe is privately owned and financed by Benchmark Capital and Scale Venture Partners. The company received a 2007 CODiE Award for Best Software as a Service, the Info Security Global Product Excellence Award for Best Managed Security Service and was named one of Red Herring’s Top 100 Technology companies. For more information, visit www.scansafe.com.