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* Rates email and IM links
* Rates email and IM links
* Indicates sites potentially harmful to your computer
* Indicates sites potentially harmful to your computer
* Alerts users to possibles phishing and identity theft scams
* Alerts users to possible phishing and identity theft scams
* Redirects you away from red and yellow sites (if protected mode is enabled).
* Redirects you away from red and yellow sites (if protected mode is enabled).


Revision as of 12:30, 15 June 2009

McAfee SiteAdvisor
Developer(s)McAfee
Initial releaseApril 2005
Operating systemCross-platform
Websitehttp://www.siteadvisor.com/

SiteAdvisor is a service that reports on the safety of web sites by crawling the web and testing the sites it finds for malware and spam. The service was originally developed by SiteAdvisor, Inc, an MIT startup[1] first presented at CodeCon on February 10, 2006[2] and acquired by McAfee[3] on April 5, 2006.

SiteAdvisor Plus

A paid version of McAfee SiteAdvisor, McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus, has extra features. The functionality of SiteAdvisor can be accessed either through a Browser Plugin or by submitting a URL to the website.

Extra features of McAfee SiteAdvisor

  • Rates email and IM links
  • Indicates sites potentially harmful to your computer
  • Alerts users to possible phishing and identity theft scams
  • Redirects you away from red and yellow sites (if protected mode is enabled).

Criticism

False positives

SiteAdvisor has received criticism for incorrectly flagging web sites with a caution or warning label.[4][5][6]

Communication and accountability

In the event of a positive result website owners are not contacted. Although a dispute resolution service does exist, the final decision rests with McAfee.[7] In the event that a perceived threat is removed from a site the site's rating will return to Green through a process called 'ageingout'. Depending on the nature of the threat this process can take from 10 days to a year after the site is re-crawled, no strict timetable is provided.[8]

Awards

  • Time magazine named SiteAdvisor.com among the 50 coolest websites of 2006.[9]
  • Popular Science awarded SiteAdvisor the "Best of What's New" award in the Computing category for 2006.[10]
  • PC World ranked SiteAdvisor at #15 in "The 100 Best Products of 2007."[11]

References

  1. ^ "McAfee acquires MIT startup SiteAdvisor at Digital..."
  2. ^ "CodeCon 2006 Program".
  3. ^ Dixon, Chris (2006-09-05). "Taking SiteAdvisor to the Next Level". Retrieved 2006-09-05.
  4. ^ "Malware Advisor". Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  5. ^ "McAfee SiteAdvisor gives PCmag.com yellow warning rating". Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  6. ^ "McAfee SiteAdvisor gives Bitsum Technologies a RED rating due to false alarm on developer utility". Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  7. ^ "What is the process for disputing my site's rating?" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  8. ^ "How long does it take for my site rating to change? Can I ask to be re-tested more quickly?" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  9. ^ "SiteAdvisor's entry in Time's 50 coolest websites of 2005". Retrieved 2006-10-13.
  10. ^ "SiteAdvisor's entry in Popular Science's Best of What's New 2006". Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  11. ^ "PC World's list of "The 100 Best Products of 2007"". Retrieved 2007-05-23.

See also

WOT

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