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Click Here To Infect Your PC!

Posted by kdawson on from the proving-a-point dept.

Email me for FREE viruses writes "Just how many people would click an ad saying "Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!"? According to the security researcher who ran that very ad on Google for 6 months, 0.16% (409 of 259,723) would click on it. 98% of those people were running Windows. The Google Adwords campaign cost $23 in total, which works out to $0.06 per infection had the site actually been malicious."

4 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. 0,16% by JanneM · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At a click rate of 0,16% - about one in 600 - I have to wonder if not a fairly large portion is simple click errors. You intend to click on some other link nearby on the page but by mistake click that one instead. There's several kind of interaction slips just like that that we do in other circumstances after all.

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    Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
  2. Hmmm by gordgekko · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's news that at least 0.16% of people are idiots? Actually I'm shocked the number was this low. This is actually good news.

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    You want to know who isn't running Firefox 2.x? They spell it "definately" and "rediculous".
  3. Doesn't really mean much by gazbo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hell, if I saw that link I'd click on it for sure. Well, I might drop to Cygwin and use lynx "just in case", but there's no way I'd not investigate such a link.

  4. Why does it matter what OS they were using? by Torodung · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I once explained that browser security is almost entirely determined by the user. This proves it. I wouldn't trust that 0.16% with a pocket calculator, let alone a computer!

    You can't write code or design software that will secure "stupid." Firefox and Linux are certainly easier to secure, and they have a better security model, but they aren't idiot proof.

    If those folks were using an abacus, they'd probably get their head stuck in it! <G>

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    Toro