Hackers 'using SEO to spread malware'
05/02/2010
Hackers are using search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to spread malware, a new study has found.
Some 13.7 per cent of searches for trending news or buzz words - as defined by Yahoo! Buzz and Google Trends - led to malware, according to the report published by information security firm Websense.
The traditional "scattergun" approach adopted by cybercriminals has been replaced with a more targeted form of attack focused on Web 2.0 properties with higher traffic and multiple pages, the company stated.
Malware authors are also said to be continuing to capitalise on website reputation and user trust - 71 per cent of sites with malicious code in the second half of 2009 were legitimate sites that had been compromised, according to Websense.
"The blended nature of today's threats combined with compromised legitimate sites, takes full advantage of an increased perception of trust when using search engines and interacting with friends or acquaintances online," explained Websense chief technology officer Dan Hubbard.
Alan Phillips, chief executive officer of 7Safe, recently warned that phishing attacks are also becoming more sophisticated.
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