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E-Books Could Serve Malevolent Web-Links

Security researchers warn that electronic books obtainable from the Internet shopping site Amazon that can be taken down using "Amazon Kindle" an application are not necessarily safe from the danger, namely online scamming, stated Thirdage.com dated April 26, 2011.

They outline that despite Kindle along with the different applications in connection with it are effective contributors to the publishing sector's revolution, yet, online fraudsters capitalize on the tool while diverting Web-surfers following web-links onto various malware sites.

A limitation of Kindle is that it doesn't have enough Internet browsing abilities; hence malware introduced to websites won't corrupt the software as such, even if visitors may become victimized with the scams. Nevertheless, anybody utilizing Kindle on BlackBerry, Android phones or iPhone will become vulnerable. So will users of Windows or Mac PC accessing Kindle.

Moreover according to the researchers, in disseminating the above scams, cyber-criminals are using books that are brief and their own publications and commonly sold for some $2.99.

In fact, in one instance, when security writer David Chernicoff for the ZDNet security website tried to purchase an e-book on the subject of marriage, he reportedly actually bought numerous irrelevant suggestions along with sensational web-links that took onto scam sites. One web-link was even designed for asking a subscription charge routinely after every 14 days. Msnbc.msn.com published this on April 26, 2011.

Chernicoff wrote that he didn't think that Amazon would engage readers for reviewing the e-books' content, which were available all over the Kindle Store of Amazon.com. Yet, they were likely to be behooved towards rendering access to sensational web-links unsuccessful that were embedded on the said documents for lessening the latter's ability to serve as channel for malware assaults.

However, Kindle users can stay away from becoming victimized merely with simple understanding such as not falling for an unbelievably true offer and so on. Meanwhile, users of Kindle on Android phones and Windows computers would do well to ignore web-links posted on self-published e-books that newly-ventured authors offer.

Eventually, it's because of the above kinds of scams that there has been an increase in Internet frauds, remark security researchers.

Related article: E-Crime Reporting Format To Be Launched in July

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