In June we released a report with numbers from late May, showing the network blocks containing the largest numbers of badware sites reported by Google. In July, we released an udpate. Here is another update from mid-August:

Note: A network block owner is not always the owner or operator of the infected servers on that block, and our publication of these data is intended to inform and educate, not to assign blame.

Not too many changes from last month. AOL is no longer on the list, apparently following through on their commitment to address the issue that landed them on last month’s list. Google reappears with a few thousand infected sites from their Blogger network, which, as previously mentioned, may be more indicative of aggressive scanning and badware removal than it is of threat to the public. Endurance is still high up on the list, though with several thousand fewer infected sites than our last update.

See also our updated list of top infected IP addresses.

In June we released a report with numbers from late May, showing the network blocks containing the largest numbers of badware sites reported by Google. Here are updated numbers from early July:

Note: A network block owner is not always the owner or operator of the infected servers on that block, and our publication of these data is intended to inform and educate, not to assign blame.

Overall, the numbers have decreased significantly as a result of Google more aggressively scanning previously-flagged sites and removing stale entries. A few other notable changes:

• Google is no longer on the top 10 list, probably as a result of more aggressive rescanning of their own sites after they have been cleaned.
• Also dropping from the top 10 are European web hosting company iEurop and Chinese network provider Beijing Dian-Xin-Tong Network Technologies Co., Ltd.
• New on the list is AOL, a StopBadware.org partner. Most or all of the infected sites are from their Hometown service, which offers free blogging and web hosting. (Like Google’s Blogspot, free accounts on Hometown are targeted by spammers and other bad actors as a means to create bogus websites containing or linking to badware.) AOL tells us that they are taking quick action against the sites and the user accounts involved.
• Also new on the list is Endurance International Group. (Endurance is now the parent company of iPowerWeb, which led our list over a year ago.) Endurance told us that as soon as they received notice from us about these infections, they identified thousands of malware redirects on their customers’ sites and took action, including removing the redirects, notifying the customers, and forcing the users to reset their passwords. They also took steps to look for and respond proactively to similar malware in the future.

In the two years since StopBadware began, we’ve grown considerably, in both size and scope, and we’ve witnessed an evolution in the ways badware purveyors distribute harmful software. Our basic commitment – to work towards a safer internet, guided by the community of internet users themselves – remains the same. As we enter our third year, we are honored to welcome two new sponsors as partners in our work: AOL and Trend Micro.

In our first year, StopBadware actually took issue with some of AOL’s software. AOL immediately responded to correct the most serious issues we had noted, and followed through with our recommendations to improve successive versions. By joining StopBadware in our efforts, AOL is affirming its commitment to providing users with informed choices about the software it provides.

Trend Micro, as a security company, has a long history of working to stop harmful software. In becoming a supporter of StopBadware, Trend Micro is expanding its inter-organizational collaborations towards the goal of a safer internet.

AOL and Trend Micro join Google, Lenovo, PayPal and VeriSign in sponsoring our work. We’re really excited to bring these two new partners on board, and look forward to an exciting third year with their support.