YNOT – Dot-xxx registrar ICM Registry and security technologies company McAfee on Monday announced an $8 million deal under which McAfee will provide daily malware screenings of all dot-xxx domains. The service, to be underwritten by ICM, will be included in each domain-name purchase at no additional charge.

According to a joint statement from the companies, automatic daily scans will incorporate a reputational analysis in addition to checking for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, browser exploits, phishing schemes and “drive-by” malware. McAfee’s database of exploits draws on a global network of 100 countries, plus internal research and systems that are updated regularly with the latest threats and discoveries.

“Malware is a growing issue on the internet, with the number of websites hosting malware increasing dramatically year-on-year,” said ICM Chief Executive Officer Stuart Lawley. “This partnership is a milestone for dot-xxx and will help create a safer internet for everyone to enjoy.

“For the first time, we are offering an automatic malware scanning service with every dot-xxx domain name registration,” he added. “This has never been done before and further supports our aim to create a clearly defined web address for adult entertainment, as free as possible from fraud or malicious computer viruses.”

Lawley also said the service will free adult webmasters from the cost and server space issues associated with anti-virus server-level software.

“For consumers who wish to browse adult entertainment sites, [our relationship with McAfee] provides reassurance they are automatically protected from the risk of viruses, hackers, exploits and malware,” Lawley said. “They can feel confident that the dot-xxx adult entertainment websites they are visiting are safe and secure. This increases webmasters’ ability to offer a socially responsible and safe place for their clients, helping to build trust, credibility and loyalty online.”

Consumers will be able to judge a site’s risk level by whether or not it bears a McAfee SECURE Trustmark. McAfee’s statistics indicate websites can experience revenue increases of 12-14 percent after installing a Trustmark, Lawley noted.

“If a problem is found, the Trustmark on the website disappears and the webmaster gets notfied by email about the problem,” Lawley told YNOT.com. “He then goes and fixes problem, notifies McAfee that it’s fixed, and the scanning starts again and the Trustmark reappears.”

End-users and webmasters who employ McAfee SiteAdvisor will be able to track scan results in real-time.

The Trustmark is “purely voluntary,” Lawley said, noting that ICM plans to promote to consumers how the partnership with McAfee increases their safety and security on dot-xxx websites.

“‘All sites scanned daily,’” he said, quoting marketing material. “Look for the McAfee Trustmark.”

For more information about dot-xxx, visit ICMRegistry.com. For more about McAfee’s security technologies, visit McAfee.com.