With the news breaking this morning that former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been killed by rebels, internet users are advised to steer clear of websites and social media messages promising to show images of his body.

Big news breaks – particularly deaths – are perfect opportunities for spammers to circulate malware, as people are more willing to go outside their normal information avenues, knowing the traditional news media won’t show graphic images.

Search engines also base rankings on historical searches, and don’t filter so well when searches have no historical record.

The death of Osama Bin Laden in May was the perfect example, with many malicious sites and messages springing up in the aftermath.

Bottom line, stick to trusted sources when following breaking news. That extra detail may not be worth it.