Webbers Corner

There was a comment somewhere that video sites like YouTube and MySpace may become targets for criminals hoping to control your PC by using images to implant executable programs.

Is it likely that videos via YouTube or MySpace will be dangerous?

I have until now assumed that YouTube was ensuring that videos were clean.

Why is it that we, consumers, have to take all the security precautions when surely the ISPs or the host websites like YouTube could do the job for us much more effectively? They are more likely to update their AV and anti-spyware programs more frequently than the general public who probably only do that once a day at best and often only weekly.

Are there any precautions that can be taken when viewing a video clip like checking it as it loads? Most people just click and view but can they be downloaded, saved, checked and then viewed? That is time-consuming.

hmm, i am not sure about this.

i would assume that the videos would be safe as YouTubes or MySpace would check the files before publishing them online to ensure they have no viruses, along with it being flash it means that it streams the video instead of downloading it onto your computer.

i think that the websites and ISP could do a lot more but i think they take the view that if we start putting in firewalls, antivirus and everything else people will begin to not run AVG or ZoneAlarm on their computer.  There would also be the risk of being sued, if they start protecting and a virus slips through someone will end up suing the company as it would be their fault.

i know it's possible to execuite javascript from an image, and you can do some dirty stuff with javascript.

so it's possible with a video as well.

that is another big security risk with viruses but i would assume with places like youtube they would scan for viruses as it could crash their servers if a virus was uploaded.

I think they will always have their problems!

i am waiting to see what google have planned for youtube.  i think they may put a short 5-10 second ad at the beginning of each video.

The new version of Adsence :d

they already offer an ad with a short video in so i think it would be an adaption of that.

We should do it, lol

there seems to be a lot of people here using macs, i wish i was .

i think if there was a big security issue with these sites they would have found it or someone else would have been a target and sued them.