Groundbreaking Study From McAfee Shows Users Are at Risk When Using Internet Search Engines

McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE), using research from the McAfee(R) SiteAdvisor(TM) team, today released a groundbreaking study co-authored by Ben Edelman, noted spyware researcher and an advisor to McAfee, of the safety of the Internet search engines that shows search engine users are at risk of clicking through to Web sites that can compromise their online safety. The investigation, which studied the 5 major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Ask) was initiated in January and concluded in April, found that even common search terms can lead users to risky sites.

Among the study's top-line findings:

-- All of the major search engines returned risky sites in their search

results for popular keywords.

-- Dangerous sites soared to as much as 72% of results for certain popular

keywords, such as "free screensavers," "digital music," "popular

software," and "singers."

"Search engines clearly play a critical role in Internet use: As a convenient starting point for online browsing, they're estimated to account for about half of all site visits," said Chris Dixon, who heads the McAfee SiteAdvisor product team. "But economically motivated purveyors of spam, adware and other online problems quickly follow where consumers go online, in this case directly to search engine results. Today, based on browsing trends, we estimate that U.S. Internet users make 285 million clicks to hostile sites every month through search queries."

McAfee recently acquired SiteAdvisor, which evaluates the safety of nearly every trafficked site on the Internet and warns users about unsafe sites. The McAfee SiteAdvisor software is available as a free download at http://www.us.mcafee.com

The new study is the first comprehensive examination of search engine safety, and is possible only because of the massive database of site-safety ratings built by the SiteAdvisor team over the last year. To develop these ratings, the company conducts automated tests that analyze Web sites for a broad range of user problems: exploits, downloads containing spyware, adware and or other unwanted programs, pop-ups, and e-mail submission forms.

Among the study's conclusions is the fact that some proportion of dangerous Web sites are included in the major search engine's results. The study also finds that a broad range of key words delivers risky results, including words, phrases and categories used by younger users, such as "games," "singers" and "movies." The study also finds that "sponsored" results -- those paid for by advertisers -- are more dangerous than non-sponsored results. On average, 8.5% of sponsored links were found to be dangerous versus 3.1% of non-sponsored links.

"Search engines are too important to become just another online activity dominated by the worst elements on the Internet," Edelman noted. "Users need and deserve a way to search safely, and the security community can help."

To see a full report on the McAfee search engine study, please visit http://www.siteadvisor.com/studies/search_safety_may2006.html .

McAfee acquired SiteAdvisor on April 5, 2006. McAfee is utilizing the technology and personnel to pioneer web safety by testing and rating, on an ongoing basis, nearly every trafficked site on the Internet. The software, which is a free download, clearly identifies potentially dangerous sites that have engaged in "social engineering" attacks such as spyware, adware, spam, browser attacks, and online scams. The easy-to-use software summarizes these findings with intuitive red, yellow, and green icons that empower online users to decide what to browse and what to avoid. McAfee SiteAdvisor is available as a free download at http://www.us.mcafee.com.

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California and the global leader in intrusion prevention and risk management, delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the world. With its unmatched security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users, businesses, the public sector, and service providers with the ability to block attacks, prevent disruptions, and continuously track and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com .

NOTE: McAfee and SiteAdvisor are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. All other registered and unregistered trademarks herein are the sole property of their respective owners.

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