Viruses and other malware are lurking not just on porn sites, but in places you might never expect. To make it safer to surf, the Switch foundation monitors the Swiss web for malicious code. As a result, Swiss computers are the least infected in the world.
“Error: the webpage cannot be displayed”. It’s not uncommon to get this kind of message when surfing on the web. So you check that the address has been typed correctly and try again, but the page still does not come up. Annoying? Yes, but it might be for your own good.
There are a number of reasons why a site may be inaccessible: connection problems, servers down, or updates in progress. But the site may also have been blocked deliberately for the sake of IT security.
“Some sites have got malicious code hidden in them that can infect a computer. The consequences can be serious: personal data and passwords may be stolen, or the whole system may crash”, explained IT expert Michael Hausding, who belongs to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Switch, the organisation that looks after Switzerland’s Internet access. “My job is to block infected sites and prevent the spread of malware and other harmful code.”
Although invisible to the Internet user, CERT is successfully holding the line for Switzerland against malware. According to the most recent report of the Panda Security company, Switzerland is the country with the least number of infected computers in the world (see sidebar). “Apart from our work there are the actions of the major Internet service providers, who inform their customers periodically about the current threats”, adds Hausding.
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