Beware Your Next Download: Microsoft Says 1 In 14 Is Malicious

You'll probably want to rethink the next item you download from your computer;  Even though the majority of people know that viruses and Trojan horse programs abound online, they still download without thinking.  And, according to Microsoft, 1 in 14 of those downloads is malicious.

The attackers are very opportunistic, and they latch onto any event that might be used to lure people," said Joshua Talbot, a manager with Symantec Security Response. When Symantec tracked the 50 most common malicious programs last year, it found that 56 percent of all attacks included Trojan horse programs.

The proliferance of social networking platforms doesn't help.

Social engineering is how the Koobface virus spreads on Facebook. Users get a message from a friend telling them to go and view a video. When they click on the link, they're then told that they need to download some sort of video playing software in order to watch. That software is actually a malicious program.

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