Google has released information indicating that hacked, legitimate websites distributing malicious software are now more numerous than sites that hackers deliberately created to host malware. In its biannual Google Transparency Report, the company said that there are now about 3,891 deliberately malicious sites, compared to 39,247 sites made harmful via hacking. Google estimates that about 60 percent of all compromised websites host malware with 40 percent of all compromised websites used for phishing attacks. Google based its findings on its Safe Browsing service, which compiles provides lists of URLs for Web resources that contain malware or phishing-related content. The Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox browsers use the lists to check pages against potential threats. (CNET)(Computerworld)(Google Transparency Report)
