Video-sharing sites a target for viruses

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 3 Oct 2007 at 12:11

Online video-sharing sites such as YouTube could become a common target for hackers attempting to run malicious code on users' computers.

With Web 2.0 applications running more code on the client's browser, there is an increased risk of security vulnerabilities, warns a new report from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center.

"The popularity of video-sharing websites will make them a more common threat vector in the coming year. Hackers will install malcode within video content, which will then affect users accessing the video clips," claims the report.

The same threats could also apply to other Web 2.0 sites, or anywhere that links and code can be placed. "Attackers will continue to post malicious links as part of the user's everyday online activity - at the end of an IM string, hidden in a YouTube video or embedded in an Excel spreadsheet," claims Paul Judge, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Secure Computing.

The report goes on to suggest that mobile devices could be another area of growth for malware, with voice spam and voice phishing scams becoming more prevalent. There is also a danger of "smishing" - phishing via SMS messages, where a user is tricked into texting a premium rate number at high cost.

The Center is currently holding its annual summit, which has attracted 300 security experts to discuss the future of IT security.