Malvertising Impressions Increased by 100 Percent During 2nd Half of 2010

The number of advertisements containing malware doubled between the third and fourth quarters of 2010.

These "malvertising" impressions have reached 3 million malicious attacks per day according to a report by Dasient.

Marketingpilgrim.com 2010 Malvertising Monthly Incidents Chart

One of the most disconcerting facts about malvertising is that it can happen on any website that contains advertising, even without the website's knowledge. The malware can cause problems even if a person does not click on the ad.

Dasient maintains that malvertising is one of the top three computer security risks. The report states that "after three months of web browsing, the probability that an average Internet user will hit an infected page is approximately 95 percent."

The growing popularity of social networking sights could be partially responsible for the growth in malvertising percentages.

Dasient’s report states, "Social networking sites are open platforms for communication that can be used by anyone, and cybercriminals are regularly conducting 'tests' and attacks that are harmful."

It is very common for social network users to post links in their statuses. Unfortunately, most social networking sites do not test their links for possible malware.