Widgets and gadgets that users add on to their PCs could pose a security threat, according to Finnish security company Finjan.
Finjan’s Malicious Code Research Centre has found that add-ons that add functions to websites contain code which make the PC they are on more vulnerable to hackers.
The security model that gadgets and widgets have must now be completely revised to take these findings into account, Finjan stated.
Finjan chief technology officer Yuval Ben-Itzhak said: ‘As widgets become common in most modern computing environments, from operating system to web portals, their significance from a security standpoint rises.’
He added: ‘Vulnerabilities in widgets and gadgets enable attackers to gain control of user machines, and thus should be developed with security in mind.’
Corporations may need to deal with a ‘vast array’ of new security considerations, added Mr Ben-Itzhak.
Meanwhile, a new report from Symantec has warned that internet crime has gone from simply causing trouble to a multi-million pound industry.
