Search Engine Poisoning (SEO Poisoning) is a tactic cybercriminals use to manipulate search engine results and get users to click on malicious websites.
Attackers rank spam websites for long-tail keywords in the search engine results pages (SERPs). These websites usually contain malware, phishing scams and other harmful content.
The goal is simply to trick users into clicking on malicious links, which allows the attacker to steal data or plant malware.
Don’t get caught in this trap!
Google’s algorithm is good at detecting malicious websites and removing them from its search index. But it doesn’t catch everything.
Search engine poisoning is still an ongoing issue today.
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What Will I Learn?
Search engine poisoning works by exploiting search engine algorithms to rank malicious sites higher in search results.
The attackers create harmful websites and rank them with black hat SEO techniques.
They usually target long-tail keywords because they aren’t as competitive to rank for.
The blackhat SEO strategies they use include:
It’s important to note that the pages that rank usually look like trustworthy content. That’s how they rank in the first place.
But inside the content are “poisoned links” that lead to unauthorised downloads or redirect to harmful websites.
Cyber security statistics even show that hackers can download malware on your computer without you knowing. That’s why you need to protect yourself!
Follow these proven strategies to protect yourself from search engine poisoning:
Not all search engines are created equal.
Stick to well-known search engines like Google and Bing.
They use advanced filtering mechanisms to automatically detect and remove malicious websites from the SERPs.
Google also has a dedicated web security team that is constantly improving and updating its security for users.
Use an up-to-date antivirus protector.
If you accidentally download malware, good antivirus software can detect and remove it before it infects your entire computer.
The best antivirus software even comes with browser extensions.
These extensions run ahead of you and vet websites before you click them. It’s like your own personal security team protecting you online!
Modern browsers offer security features such as safe browsing modes and warnings about suspicious sites.
Use trusted browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox. They offer many extra security features to protect you online.
Dodgy links are the most significant tactic hackers use to gain access to your personal data.
Don’t click on links you don’t trust. It sounds simple, but millions of people blindly click on phishing links every single day.
If the link seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Be careful when downloading software or tools online.
This is one of the most common ways attackers steal data and take over entire networks. Never install anything you aren’t sure about!
Only download software from trusted websites you know.
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