ANSWERS: 9
  • Hidden Dangers in Visiting Porn Sites SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Online pornography hunters' Internet adventures are already fraught with danger from malicious code many porn sites use to commandeer visitors' machines or steal personal data. Now comes a scheme some researchers say amounts to extortion: One site's threat to disable visitors' computers with relentless pop-up ads if they don't pay for a subscription they were automatically signed up for after a free trial. The threats, reported this week by researchers at security vendor McAfee Inc.'s Avert Labs, affect people who visit the Web site and download software to access a free three-day trial membership. Visitors do get free access for three days, but the download includes code that then generates a stream of pop-up windows, when the user is online and offline, demanding payment of roughly $80 for 90 days' worth of additional access. The windows stay open up to 10 minutes and appear once a day. They appear on top of any open windows and restore to their original size if shrunk or moved, making them impossible to ignore. They also reappear if the computer is rebooted. The site actually warns visitors they will be billed as full members—and lose full use of their computers if they don't—unless they cancel the subscription within the trial period. But the warning appears in the full terms and conditions statement, which downloaders aren't required to read. Once the fees are paid, the software can be removed with a special file. "What it appears they are doing is, in my humble opinion, a form of extortion based on the (usually correct) assumption that a person's computer will be key to many other activities in their daily life," McAfee researcher Seth Purdy wrote on the Avert Labs blog. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8T6V9RG0&show_article=1
  • I don't doubt that spyware is bundled in some of those things, but it's not limited to porn. A lot of the 'free stuff, download here' crap is just a scam. If you're going to download stuff on the internet, be it porn, music, movies, et al, do it smart. Also, there are a lot of ways to remove spyware if you find yourself stuck with that stuff on your computer. Don't be embarrassed, just get that crap off.
  • No I'm not. No I don't.
  • Better to be an online pervert than a pervert in day to day life. And I'm not an idiot.
  • I use enpornium, a private pron movie tracker, not those shady sites with crappy pictures and short low-quality movies. I don't have to worry about it.
  • no im not an online pervert and im not a pervert in real life but I Love Porn
  • Once in a while I'll look at porn, but hardly ever. Besides that, anyone stupid enough to sign up for porn is insane, with every site in the world out there you deserve what you get if you agree to that shit.
  • well, real... i know this is gonna come as quite a shock to you but no. i'm not an online pervert, nor do i look at internet porn; however, your response to your own question serves as a warning to all other internet users as well. 1. read the fine print 2. read the terms of agreement 3. get a good antivirus/antispy program 4. know that there is a risk with whatever you do on the web. i am guilty of only really abiding by the last two of these four rules.
  • ok, ok....I frequent a lot of porn...regularly. Send them around but I will argue that I'm a consenting adult. never had a virus in 10yrs..touch wood :)

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