Search engine malware more than doubled in 2010 and the crime rate on Twitter increased 20%, as cybercriminals continue to sharpen their focus and aim attacks at social networking services, according to a new report from Barracuda Networks. A 2010 study of search engine malware over a 153-day period found that 1 in 5 search topics are connected to malware. The study was highlighted in the Barracuda Labs 2010 Annual Security Report, which found more than 34,000 malware samples over the monitoring period.

The explosion of popularity caused by the growth of the Internet has produced good and bad results. The good results are job creation, social networking, online shopping and electronic mail. Perhaps, one of the biggest bad results is the increased production of spam. No one who uses a computer likes to deal with spam, and it's becoming harder to filter the new types that are released online everyday. If and when you are affected by spam, there are ways to make your claim and report the action.