4 ms·

Ads are a security issue. I've had machines hacked in the past simply by visiting a mainstream site with advertising (NBA.com, for example). There is no chance

• blahi 10y ago
  This argument holds only if you block javascript wholesale. Do you?
  • prawn 10y ago
    I don't and I also disagree that it invalidates the argument. Advertising scripts are a blackbox for almost every site using them. There are open bidding systems and poor checks in place to validate ads that are submitted (Flash ads, for example, in the past). In the example I cited, I didn't get a devastating virus from boxscore Javascript on NBA.com, or from some other local script, it was a driveby from a hosted ad. Just not worth the risk.
    • blahi 10y ago
      The large chunk of malware distributed via websites is through hacked sites which fire the malicious scipts only a in 2-3 visits out of 100. Ads are responsible for about 20-30% of the malware distribution. So yeah. Your argument does not hold.
      • zajd 10y ago
        > Ads are responsible for about 20-30% of the malware distribution Do you have a source for this comment?
      • prawn 10y ago
        Ads are responsible for about 20-30% of the malware distribution. How does my argument not hold? 20-30% is huge!