100 'dirtiest web sites'

SAN FRANCISCO - SYMANTEC on Thursday unveiled a list of 100 'worst of the worst' websites, nearly half of which used porn to lure people to pages booby trapped with viruses.

The US computer security titan's list of 'Dirtiest Web Sites' discovered in recent months included names such as firstsexyteen, schoolbad, and cheatsarchive.

Videogame players sometimes search online for 'cheats,' software secrets that let them change game play.

While 48 per cent of the websites on the list featured adult content, the remaining tainted online locales ran a gamut of topics including deer hunting, catering, figure skating, legal services, and retail electronics.

People visiting the websites face risks of having their computers infected with malicious software that could mine personal data or give cybercriminals control of machines, according to Symantec.

'There has been exponential growth in the number of online threats that are constantly evolving as cybercriminals look for new ways to target your money, identity or assets,' said Symantec consumer business unit senior vice president Rowan Trollope.

'Armed with this information, consumers are empowered to make informed decisions about which sites to visit.'

Websites that made Symantec's 'dirtiest' list were crammed with 'staggering' numbers of virus threats, according to Mr Trollope. -- AFP