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Google Video targeted for SEO poisoning
Internet security company Trend Micro have sent a warning to users of Google Video that many search results have been corrupted by hackers.
According to the anti-virus software provider, up to 400,000 search queries have been poisoned with irrelevant content which leads to malware virus sites.
Hackers are deliberately targeting the big names in the online industry and trading on Google’s solid reputation as a reliable search engine which is virus-free.
Hackers are using ‘black hat’ Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactics in order to artificially raise the profile of certain videos on Google Video. Black hat methods, also known as spamdexing, are not approved by search engines such as Google because it manipulates the relevancy of certain keywords and phrases with excessive spamming.
Whilst not a new technique, this is the first time that trusted online brands such as Google have been targeted for malicious cyber crime. Jake Soriano, a technical communications employee at Trend Micro said: “This new blackhat SEO poisoning makes it clear that online search tools are quickly becoming favorite platforms for online criminals in their operations.”
The sites in question target specific videos and then redirect users to install a new Flash Player which is supposedly required in order to play the video. Once the malware is installed, the virus can spread to other computers via USB sticks and other portable devices.
The virus relies on the Windows AutoRun feature which is a part of all Microsoft operating systems. Microsoft have advised users to disable this function and have published information on their website detailing how this can be achieved.
SEO News posted by David Finklehorn on 04 February 2009
