Looking for free stuff on net? Beware

Are you among those who love to download free stuff from Internet? A McAfee study finds that searching for free stuff online increases your chance of landing on a site littered with malware.

According to the study, by inserting the search term "free" when looking for music ringtones, there are 300% increase in the chances of hitting a malicious site.

"The sites often look very professional and attempt to lure the user with the idea of a 'trial period' or even some nominal fee," the report says.<b1>

"Once the user agrees, they have to authorise their computer to access and interact with computers that are involved in a wide range of schemes."

Well but the question is, can you resist the urge to download free stuff from Internet?

First Published: Sep 15, 2010 13:03 IST