Download.com
Shantell Cisowski
CNET Download (originally Download.com) is an Internet download directory website launched in 1996 as a part of CNET. Initially it resided on the domain download.com, and then download.com.com for a while, and is now download.cnet.com. The domain download.com attracted at least 113 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com study.[2]
Up until 2015 CNet used Spigot Inc to monetize the traffic to download.com. According to Sean Murphy, then a General Manager at CNet , "Spigot continues to be a great partner to Download.com, sharing our desire to balance customer experience with revenue."[3]
In 2014, The Register and US-CERT warned that via download.com's "foistware", an "attacker may be able to download and execute arbitrary code".[11] In 2015, research by Emsisoft suggested that all free download portals bundled their downloads with potentially unwanted software, and that Download.com was the worst offender.[12]
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