SEO is being used to plant fake anti-virus

Researchers say that Ukrainian hackers are using search engine optimization (SEO) and U.S. government forms to promote fake anti-virus software to American consumers.

According to consultant Dancho Danchev, the Ukrainian campaign is hijacking several U.S. Federal Forms keywords to deliver the Personal Anti-virus spyware.

The hackers have devised a method that allows them to bypass Google’s Safebrowser blacklist and deploy page rank boosting techniques that put their pages on top of search results for federal forms keywords.

Whenever a user clicks on these search results, they get a scareware message that says their computers are infected. The page then gives a prompt to download the fake anti-virus software, which claims it can fix the problem. If the anti-virus is downloaded, their computers are infected by a Trojan virus that can control their computer.

According to Danchev, the necessary precautions are being taken to disrupt this virus.

Source: Security Dark Reading