Techno Sider

Search categories related to music and technology continue to be among the most dangerous, according to a new McAfee report.

In its 'The State of Search Engine Safety' report, McAfee points out that one of the riskiest terms to search for on the Web is 'screensavers'.

It is learnt that nearly 42 percent of search results on the term 'screensavers' got a 'Red' warning flag or a 'Yellow' cautionary flag from McAfee SiteAdvisor.

SiteAdvisor even said that music- and technology-related Web sites have a negative impact on computers, since they often leave spyware and other malware, which could lead to a massive increase in the amount of spam generated.

Interestingly, the study revealed that while browsing porn Web sites through search engines carries an approximately 9 percent risk of infecting PCs with spyware, adware, and spam; the risk quotient jumps to nearly 19 percent when searching digital music Web sites. Other sites found to harm computers are those related to electronic gadgets, and those that offer background wallpapers.

In a statement, Mark Maxwell, Senior Product Manager for SiteAdvisor, said that the lesser risk posed by porn Web sites is due to the fact that they are already raking in a lot of money, and have no reason to indulge in such practices. On the other hand, faced with a slow electronics market, people related to such industries tend to look for additional ways to promote their products.

The study further found that queries related to file-sharing software such as 'BearShare', 'LimeWire', and 'Kazaa' posed a significant risk for computers. In fact, 'BearShare' was found to be the riskiest search term, with over 46 percent of search results marked as dangerous.