Google moves to purge malware

Google has reportedly moved to protect users purging thousands of web pages suspected of spreading malware from its index, iTNews reports.

Owners of malicious websites and spreaders of malware are getting increasingly sophisticated in the way they target web users. Using dodgy SEO techniques seeded with seemingly innocent search terms – such as ‘microsoft excel’ or ‘alternate firmware for a router’ and many other popular tech terms – online banditry is reaching new heights.

Google has reportedly struck a blow against the dodgy internet denizens by removing thousands of the nastiest pages from its search index, effectively putting them out of the way of innocent web browsers.

And not a moment too soon, if another report by Trend Micro is anything to go by. They have produced a report suggesting that cyber-criminals have ramped up their malware and phishing operations in preparation for the Christmas period.

“Since September, cyber criminals have been boosting their search engine rankings using a variety of methods such as ‘comment spam’ and ‘blog spam’ in preparation for the Christmas period,” Micro Trend chief technology officer Raimund Genes says.

The reason is that, being Christmas, a lot of relatively inexperienced internet users will be online using their credit card to buy presents – juicy pickings for devious online bandits.

“With shoppers visiting these sites likely to purchase goods online after infection, their credit card details become a main target for cyber criminals looking for financial gains this season,” Genes says.