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Harvard University and Consumer Reports have joined together to create a web community dedicated to providing information and support to consumers regarding malware, spyware, adware, and malicious websites.

The site, a joint effort of Harvard’s Berkman Center and Consumer Reports’ Webwatch, is called BadwareBusters.org.  The site administrators say they want BadwareBusters to be the first stop for anyone who’s been victimized by malicious software, had their computers or sites hacked, or had a site flagged as suspicious by Google.

Now I’ve been to the site and so far I’m impressed.  This is something the web really needs.  When a person finds their computers or websites infected with a malicious program, their first instinct is usually to do a Google search. While this can be helpful, it can also add to their confusion as it usually brings up a huge amount of info, some of it conflicting, some written in technical language average consumers may not be able to understand, and some just plain dangerous.

Not long ago I had a technical issue with my computer involving a buggy software installation.  The first site that came up in Google’s search results advised that the only solution was a complete wipe of the registry!  Now anyone that knows anything about the Windows registry knows you don’t touch it unless you really really know what you’re doing.  (By the way it turned out all I really needed to do was download a patch from the software’s developers!)  Someone could really have done irreparable damage to their system if they followed that site’s recommendation.

BadwareBusters.org could become a valuable tool in the fight against scammers and spammers on the net.  With a comprehensive, reliable, and up to date collection of information in one place, consumers will have safe place to get help instead of having to navigate a collection of search results that may lead nowhere.

Have you ever had a run in with malware and/or a malicious site?  Would a site like BadwareBusters have helped?  Please leave a comment and share your story!

Read [PCWorld]