SAN FRANCISCO, May 7 (UPI) -- Internet security experts say the Web has become so overrun with identity thieves that users have no way of knowing which sites are safe.
The San Francisco Chronicle said Wednesday that even the largest and most-familiar destinations are vulnerable to thieves who swipe identification numbers, business e-mails and medical records.
"Professional criminals and organized crime have ongoing, sustained campaigns to rob consumers blind," said Paul Ferguson, a researcher for Trend Micro.
The culprits seek out flaws in various popular software packages and hack their way into Web sites. From there they can gain access to the server and attack other Web sites, the newspaper reported.
Experts advise Web surfers to keep their Internet browsers updated and regularly sweep their computers for malicious viruses.
