Malware pop-ups plague New York Times

Posted by Caitlin on September 14th, 2009

Pop-up advertisements that warn you about a virus and attempt to hawk anti-virus software are a particularly sneaky way to trick you into downloading malware. Generally, these types of pop-ups tend to infiltrate less reputable websites, such as those that provide pornography or illegal downloads. But yesterday, NYTimes.com fell victim to this classic hack. New York Times readers have been encountering these pop-up boxes, which the Times believes were caused by an unauthorized advertisement. Readers who encounter the virus warning and security software advertisement are advised to quit and restart their browsers immediately, but some users report being redirected to outside websites without having clicked on the pop-up box.

Be on the lookout for these types of pop-ups, even on reputable websites. Certainly do not click on them. Random pop-up boxes are not the ideal place to find Internet security software, anyway. If you are looking for trustworthy security software, you can find helpful information by checking out our reviews and comparison chart.