PC Magazine reports that Internet security experts at McAfee have issued a new report, entitled “Mapping the Mal Web Revisited”, that “charts the threat of malware across the globe, top-level country code by top-level country code.”

What’s malware? It’s software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s consent. One of the big three, along with viruses and spyware.

In 2006, the “top perpetrators” of malware originated from a tiny island in the South Pacific called Tokelau. Well, at least the most dangerous domains had the .tk extension that is assigned to the island. How many of Tokelau’s 1500 inhabitants were actually engaged in distributing malware is still unknown.

This year the riskiest sites are from Hong Kong (.hk) and China (.cn). On the other side, of both the world and the Internet spectrum, sites originating from Finland seem to be very safe.

.com extensions are the 9th riskiest, and .info the riskiest overall. The safest? .gov, or should we say that no one has found any evidence that the goverment is actively spying on us so far.

So, as Elvis Costello sings, “From Singapore to Widnes, you better watch your step. . .”

Of course, now the question is: where the heck is Widnes?

Viacom, a media conglomerate with interests in cable and satelite networks and movie production and distribution, is suing Google over the company’s ability to keep copyrighted material off its YouTube site. The lawsuit has been in court for over a year now with Viacom basically alledging that the Internet has led to an “explosion of copyright infringement” by YouTube and similar sites.

Viacom says it had found more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of copyrighted programing-including “South Park,” “Sponge Bob Square Pants,” and “MTV Unplugged”-that had been viewed an “astonishing 1.5 billion times.”

Now the thing to keep in mind here is that for the most part we are talking about clips–two or three minute CLIPS, for goodness sakes. What I find astonishing is how media giants, who are already making money hand over fist, always feel threatened by the “little people”–in this case, the everyday folks who post stuff on YouTube and those who view it. That is who is really going to be hurt if Viacom prevails. Poor Viacom, if they were a struggling mom and pop operation, I might have some sympathy towards their plight. But they’re not, so I don’t.

The other day, after comedian Dick Martin passed away, I really enjoyed being able to go to YouTube and watch old “Laugh In” clips, as well as clips from other Rowan and Martin television appearances. It allowed me to renew my acquaintence with Dick Martin, a guy who’s dry sense of humor I had always appreciated.

If Viacom feels threatened by my ability to do that, I say it’s too bad. Life is a beach, you know.

In their defense, YouTube lawyers say that the company “goes far beyond its legal obligation in assisting content owners to protect their works.” Further, they maintain that the Viacom lawsuit “threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information, news, entertainment and political and artistic expression.”

Google is confident it will win the suit and that they are prepared to take it all the way to the Supreme Court. If you happened to see HBO’s “Recount” over the weekend, that last part about the Supreme Court may seem like a scary proposition.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Serivces is currently promoting its new web site that allows consumers to compare services and quality of care in various hospitals. See Hospital Compare.

Microsoft has just unveiled a new Internet service in which consumers can get money back for finding and buying items from the company’s search site. Live Search Farecast will feature more than 10 million products from more than 700 merchants, including top U.S. retailers, the tech giant says.

The Wall Street Journal ponders the question: Is your web site fast enough for Google?

From Wired’s Danger Room: Leading General Tells Troops to Start Blogging.

Want to know the Real History of Blogging? The Chronicle Review, the Chronicle of Higher Education, reveals it all here.

Finally, this makes me wish I was in the pizza business: Papa John’s raking in the dough online.