The Top 10 Most Dangerous Web Search Terms

June 2, 2009— -- Are your Web searches putting your computer at risk?

In a recent report, security firm McAfee, Inc. revealed how cybercriminals use popular search terms to unleash malicious software that can infect a computer and, in some cases, steal a user's identity.

McAfee researchers analyzed more than 2,600 of the most popular search terms of 2008 from a range of sources, including the Google Zeitgeist and the Yahoo! 2008 Year in Review.

According to the report, "The Web's Most Dangerous Search Terms," the 10 riskiest searches in the United States are:

1. Word Unscrambler

2. Lyrics

3. MySpace

4. Free Music Downloads

5. Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones and Lezak Wins 4x 100m Relay

6. Free Music

7. Game Cheats

8. Printable Fill in Puzzles

9. Free Ringtones

10. Solitaire

"Search engines are our on-ramp, our highway and our off-ramp -- they're everything for Web travel," said Shane Keats, the research analyst with McAfee who led the study. "The hacking community is very smart -- they can spot a trend as well as any trendspotter."

Just as pickpockets know they'll have the best odds of snatching a wallet on a busy city sidewalk, Internet thieves know they'll have the most luck by targeting crowds.

"If you're hacking for profit, the best way to make money is with the largest pool of potential victims," he said. "The biggest crowd is going to be around these trends."

After analyzing the search terms, Keats and his team found that not only are hackers looking for crowds, they are also attacking Internet surfers who are ready to take an online action, like downloading a ringtone or logging in to a site with a name, address and social security number.

For example, people searching for free music downloads are easy targets for hackers because they are expecting to download an mp3.

"They're primed and ready to take an action," Keats said.