The explosion of personal Web sites is creating new opportunities for hackers bent on taking advantage of Internet vulnerabilities, computer experts say.
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As the public gains greater access to sophisticated Web services allowing non-technical people to start up very complex Web sites, hackers increasingly identify weak points in the Web sites to find various ways to harm users, LiveScience.com reported.
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Web sites are the next battleground in the war for computer security, computer scientist Michalis Faloutsos says.
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We are in the early stages of this war, and any Web site is vulnerable, Faloutsos says.
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The number of vulnerable sites is growing with the popularity of companies that offer — often at low prices — to host pages with simple directions and only basic technical support.
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The Web site-building customers do not have the training necessary to adequately protect their pages, leaving the sites exposed to malware and infiltration, LiveScience reported.
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The only way to stop the damage from Web site attacks is to start sufficiently protecting Web sites now, Faloutsos said.
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Five years from now, it will be commonplace for Web sites to have protection, he said. This is just the beginning; this is not a problem that will just go away.