WOT, Web of Trust, is using the power of crowds to build a reputation system for websites to warns the user about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware, or indulge in spamming activities.

WOT provides a browser plugin for both FireFox and Internet Explorer using which the WOT community members provide ratings for sites that they browse.  Apart from the user ratings, WOT also uses information from select trusted sources which provide data on Internet security threats.  The backend system at WOT then processes the ratings from users and data from external sources to calculate the reputation for each website.  WOT also uses high-end algorithms to counter any attempts to manipulate the reputation data through user votes.

The Reputation Scorecard from WOT provides real time information about a website’s reputation.  As per their statistics, more than 18 million websites have been rated and one out of every twenty sites pose certain type of risk for users.

WOT works while searching for websites using search engines, browsing and downloading.  For details, watch their demo video:

WOT can prove to be really useful if proper checks are ensured to maintain the authenticity of users’ votes and feedback about sites.  This kind of system is especially helpful in the current scenario when the security cannot be ensured by traditional security systems like anti-virus software.

Popularity: 5% [?]