Automated SEO poisoning attacks explained

by Graham Cluley on March 31, 2010 | Comments Off

Filed Under: Malware

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).

Sea World killer whale malicious search result

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.

SEO poisoning technical paper

It's a great read. Check it out now.

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About the author

Graham Cluley has worked in the computer security industry for more than 20 years, developing anti-virus software and doing quite a lot of talking about internet threats. He's won awards for his blogging, but is proudest of the text adventure games he wrote when he was still wearing short trousers. You can learn more about those (the games, not the trousers) at grahamcluley.com. Send Graham an email, subscribe to his updates on Facebook, follow him on Twitter and App.net, and circle him on Google Plus for regular updates.