.Com the Second Riskiest Domain

McAfee roots out the world's sketchiest domains
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 2, 2009 4:04 PM CST
.Com the Second Riskiest Domain
This map shows where the riskiest servers in the world are located.   (McAfee)

It may be the most familiar domain, but .com is also the extension second most likely to screw with your computer—beaten only by Cameroon's .cm. A whopping 32.2% of .com addresses pose a security risk, according to McAfee’s third annual “Mapping the Mal Web” report, compared to 36.7% for .cm, which cyber criminals have gravitated toward because it’s so similar to .com that typos can often draw unwary surfers.

You’re most likely to get malware from Romania’s .ro, and most likely to get junk mail from a .info site. The safest domain is the government’s .gov, with an essentially 0% risk. The list underwent some big changes as well, with last year’s riskiest domain, Hong Kong’s .hk, dropping to 34th with a mere 1.1% risk, after a concerted government crackdown. (More malware stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X