The following is a list of free web hosting websites you should avoid if you can. By visiting any webpage hosted there, you are likely to see undesirable content or to be redirected to a malicious website.
No. 1: Google Groups Cyber scum organizations used to circulate tens of spam comments daily invoving pages created at Google Groups. Screenshot 01 shows an example. The frequency has declined gradually over the past several months. But they still do. Google used to run a search engine. Oh... They still do? So Google could easily spot undesirable pages if they tried, right? But they don't. We found a fake group content under bionet.microbiology easily with help of Google's search function. (Screenshot 02.) It looks like it's been there since March 27.
Cyber criminals are expected to create more spam pages at Google Groups. That's because it's very difficult for one to contact Google and report abuse. Google's attitude seems to be such that they won't clean up their own mess themselves unless somebody wastes their time and reports it. In this way, Google can concentrate on making money. Google employs smart workers. They have finest information technologies. They aren't poor like us. They have abundant resources. Why can't they find spam pages at their own backyard? That's only because they don't want to. They would rather apply their resources to other areas.
No. 2: bravenet (bravehost.com) This free hosting website service goes by the name of bravenet. (See Screenshot 03.) They seem to run their own servers in Parksville, British Columbia (Canada) to entertain more than 1.5 million unique visitors per month. Free websites are hosted at the domain of bravehost.com with unique subdomain names.
Cyber criminals started abusing bravenet's free websites very offensively about several weeks ago. They now circulate tens of spam comments daily around blogs and forums involving bravenet's free websites. Screenshot 04 shows one of the spam comments circulated by a cyber criminal. The subdomain of removalpatch was removed before we started writing this report. By the way, their Terms of Service 8. Service Limitations (d) says
Associate Bravenet and any Products and Services with any adult material of any sort. This includes, but is not limited to, such things as nudity, any site, page, image or service requiring any adult verification service, anything that users to be 18 or older to view or join or access, and any text, image or likeness suggesting sexual and/or inappropriate and/or illegal acts of any sort.
Any content described above 'may not be' used at Bravenet, they say. Okay. How about the content found at teenlesbianz.bravehost.com? (See Screenshot 05.) You can find undesirabl sites hosted at bravenet easily with help of search engines. It will take 3 or more clicks to report a content abuse, which probably makes some people decide not to report it.
No. 3: YouTube Channels Cyber criminals started creating fake accounts several months ago to our knowledge. YouTube accounts aren't exactly like websites where one can post images and host files. Cyber criminals mainly create YouTube channels to redirect Internet users to fake online pharmacy stores.
Fortunately, YouTube has a very famous parent. If they wanted, YouTube could easily clean up their fake account mess. All they have to do is ask their parent Google. Screenshot 06 showns an example of a fake YouTube account. This channel appears to be viewed more than 40,000 times in 2 weeks! It didn't take me a minute to find it, thanks to Google's search function.
No. 4: Blogspot & Blogger Cyber criminals created hundreds of spam websites at Google-owned Blogspot and Blogger back in January to redirect Internet users to other websites where computer viruses awaited them. Back then, it was very difficult for one to report abuse to Blogger/Blogspot. After a while, they installed 'FLAG BLOG' button at the top of each page. (See Screenshot 07.)
Okay. Let's see what's allowed and not allowed at Google's Blogger. Blogger's Content Policy says
Users may not publish written, image or video content that promotes pedophilia, incest and bestiality. (See Screenshot 08.)
But... It took me just several seconds to find such content at Blogger. All I had to do is to use Google's search engine for 'incest blogger.com.' (See Screenshot 09.) Right, Google's search engine... And I found something about Incest. The title is quite apparent and disturbing. It's 'INCEST & FRIENDS.' (See Screenshot 10.)
What does Blogger say about one's selling computer viruses and exploitation toolkits? Blogger/Blogspot's content policy also says
Our products and services should not be used for unlawful purposes or for promotion of dangerous and illegal activities. Your account may be terminated and you may be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Promotion of dangerous and illegal activities... We reported back in January that a man called himself Jerry set up a website at Blogspot to promote his underground shop. (Click here for details.) Although we reported the abuse by clicking on the flag button twice in the past, this website is still around. In summary, Blogger and Blogspot's Content Policy cannot be trusted. You may end up seeing undesirable content or catching computer viruses upon visiting websites hosted at Blogger/Blogspot.
No. 5: msn Groups Cyber criminals don't exploit msn Groups so extensively as they exploit Google Groups. But they circulate a spam comment involving msn Groups pages that they've created once in every several days or so.
It's quite easy to find spam pages hosted at msn Groups. All you have to do is go to msn Groups' top page at http://groups.msn.com and use its search funtion. (See Screenshot 12.) If I just type 'viagra,' I can easily find spam pages like the one in Screenshot 13 that are hosted at msn Groups. Yes, even my 10-year-old Japanese niece, who doesn't read or speak English, can do it by finger-typing several letters. Unfortunately, msn is like Google. It doesn't have an extensive abuse report system like Blogger/Blogspot. Most msn Groups visitors don't bother to waste their time in reporing abuse to Microsoft. That makes msn Groups a good target for affiliate spammers.
No. 6: Others The following is list of other free hosting or individual corporate websites that cyber criminals have been abusing these days.
Webmasters behind free hosting websites want to host as many webpages as possible. They embed ad codes at the top of each page. Some of them don't mind if their free websites are used for redirection to malicious sites as long as impressions are counted as number of ads to display.
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