Automated SEO poisoning attacks explained

We’ve talked many times on this blog about how hackers exploit hot trending news stories using blackhat search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to poison search engine results. Often this is with the intention of spreading scareware (also known as fake anti-virus attacks).

In fact, SEO poisoning is one of the major methods of attack that we are seeing being used by online criminals at the moment.

Fraser and Onur in our labs have written an excellent technical paper (PDF) which discusses the problem, and lifts the lid on how the bad guys are using automated kits to do their dirty work for them…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is a veteran of the anti-virus industry having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent security analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of computer security, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter at @gcluley, or drop him an email.