SEO Poisoning Now More Devastating

An Internet security company 'F-Secure' in its newly conducted research finds that scareware distributors have decided to create over 60 websites, which potentially host numerous search matches of trending and current subjects. The purpose of these websites is to install more malicious software on computers indiscriminately.

The searches related to various topics, covering Alexander McQueen's death to Olympics, present malicious web-links that aren't only a few in number but countless. All of the websites to which these links point contain numerous probable matches related to hot and latest search terms.

Moreover, the subjects are common for at least two websites so that both appear among the search results.

F-Secure security researchers state that in case an unwitting Web-surfer tries to search with a certain keyword (which corresponds to the one served by the compromised websites), then the results on the search engine will contain malevolent web-links. Unlike previously when only a small number of malicious links appeared in search results, in the current instance, there are over 60, with most of them among the top ten. Consequently, there are greater chances that the user will hit the links.

Once that is done, the user will find a web-page which performs a false scan of his computer. When the scan of computer is completed and malware detected, he'll then be presented with anti-malware software. In case, the user runs this software, a rogue installer will be downloaded on his machine. Subsequently, the fake security solution will attempt to get the user to buy the software.

Commenting on the problem, F-Secure's researchers stated that the distribution of rogue programs apparently played the number game. If the scammers managed to compromise more websites and use more search terms, then possibilities increased that their websites would match those terms and get Web-surfers to download scareware. While the tactic was quite deceitful, it also appeared to be effective.

Furthermore, cyber-criminals are apparently cashing in on the fact that there's a wide use of search engines. Accordingly, they spread malware by abusing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. The security researchers state that this 'SEO poisoning' can prove disastrous.

Related article: S.Korean President Cites Spam as Crime Threatening Internet Users’ Trust

» SPAMfighter News - 3/6/2010