Introduction
Today’s consumers, hungry for entertainment, are increasingly turning to online media such as digital movies, music, TV, radio, and videos. In fact, more than 177 million U.S. Internet users watched online video in June of this year alone, up from 157 million a year ago, according to comScore, Inc.

While adults may click on streaming video to stay abreast of world news, teens search for posters from their favorite movie or the ringtone of the latest Lady Gaga hit. And consumers everywhere want to visit fan sites, download movies, or indulge in the latest celebrity news. Online media gives it all to us, quickly and easily, but at a price.

It used to be It used to be that poisoned search results—with links to malware—were the number one risk consumers faced when looking for digital entertainment and information. But recently, Internet users have become more aware of this threat, and cybercriminals have shifted their lines of attack to dangerous websites, malicious ads, and video viewing tools designed to do harm.

Cybercrooks also know that we are hooked on social networks and video services such as YouTube, so they use these destinations to distribute malware and other threats. YouTube, for instance, had 144.5 million unique viewers in June, according to comScore, making it highly attractive to cybercriminals looking to target mass audiences.

What’s more, cybercrooks take advantage of our fascination with breaking news and hot topics to get us to click on spam emails or download so-called “must-see videos.” For example, a cybercrook might target younger Internet users with a spam email about teen singer Miley Cyrus, knowing that some kids are probably Cyrus fans (and also knowing that younger Internet users are generally more naive about security best practices).

So, what are all the risks associated with today’s online media, and what can you do to avoid them? This report gives you an informative look at the dangers associated with digital music, movies, and other forms of online media so that you can understand the risks and protect yourself and your family.

Here’s a summary of key findings:

•  “Free” can be costly—Adding the word “free” to a search for music ringtones results in a three-fold increase in the riskiness of the sites returned by major search engines in English. Translating “free” to the appropriate foreign language word had similar results in other native search engines.
• MP3s add risk—Searching for “MP3s” adds risk to music search results, while searching for “free MP3s” makes music search results even riskier. Even when a consumer indicates that they want to pay for the MP3 in their search, results still send them to pirated content.
• “Fans” attract dangerous URLs—McAfee has discovered thousands of malicious and highly suspicious URLs associated with fan clubs or comments made on fan pages, even if the comments are made via social avenues such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter.
• Bad ads run rampant—Malicious advertising (where an online ad is used to distribute malware or exploit the user’s browser) is a common means of infection. For instance, on June 1, 2010, McAfee identified “malvertising” on perezhilton.com that redirected users to a domain that delivered a malicious payload.
• Illegal content sites often fool consumers—Sites that are set up to distribute illegal content are very sophisticated and may leave a user not understanding the nature of the site to which they have been directed. These sites often distribute malware and expose users to other risks. The criminal associations behind the sites can often be found by tracking the ownership of the domains and the relationships and tools that were used to develop the sites. ...

Download Digital Music & Movies Report: The True Cost of Free Entertainment

PDF format, 1.35MB, 15Pages.

By Paula Greve
McAfee

SUMMARY
Cybercrime is big business, and online media is one of cybercriminals’ biggest moneymakers. Demand for digital media—whether it’s music, videos, television, or other streaming content—is at an all time high, and cybercrooks are looking to exploit its popularity in every way that they can.

For example, between 2009 and 2010, McAfee has noted a 40% increase in the websites that are delivering infected MP3 files or seem to be built with the sole purposes of conducting some type of cybercrime (identity theft, financial fraud, malware infection, for example) on individuals looking for MP3 media files online.

As online media expands, and devices change, we expect the threats to adapt and become subtler, but we don’t expect them to go away. Simply searching for online media may seem safer, but the truth is cybercriminals use many different ways to distribute threats. The threats have evolved past high-level search and are more prevalent than ever.

The only way for users to protect themselves is to stay aware of the risks associated with digital media, and to be on the lookout for potential new dangers.

Here are some important tips for staying safe while enjoying digital media:

• Avoid searching for “free” content. Instead, stick to legitimate, paid sites to get your music and movies.
• Don’t click on links in banner ads on music, movie, and download sites that aren’t wellestablished.
• Use comprehensive security software, such as McAfee Total Protection™ software and keep it up to date, to safeguard you from the latest threats.
• Use common sense—don’t click on links posted in forums or on fan pages, and seek out wellestablished, legitimate media sites.
• Use a safe search plug-in, such as McAfee SiteAdvisor® software, to warn you of potentially risky sites in your search results.
• Realize that the more in-demand a topic, a movie, or an artist is, the higher the risk you face when searching for them.

About McAfee, Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee is committed to relentlessly tackling the world’s toughest security challenges. The company delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems and networks around the world, allowing users to safely connect to the Internet, browse, and shop the web more securely.

Backed by an award-winning research team, McAfee creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the public sector, and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security.