The internet is abuzz with live scores, statistics, predictions and match highlights of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as it gets closer to the final. A simple “2015 World Cup” keyword search can equip an avid cricket enthusiast with all the latest on the World Cup. Yet, the majority of cricket fans are unaware that the top search results could list malicious websites through the attack vector SEO (Search Engine Optimization) poisoning that cyber criminals employ to rank their websites in the top search engine results for a related keyword search.
A cricket fan should be aware about the risk in accessing an unknown website that is ranked highly in the search result. For example, by building a legitimate-looking website that is in sync with the latest information on the World Cup and incorporating their social engineering expertise the attackers could manipulate search engines to feature their website prominently. This specially crafted website might carry a link to a malware file download to infect the victim’s computer.
SEO poisoning attacks are subtle, hard to detect by laymen and tend to occur every time a global event happens. This could even serve as an entry point to large organizations. Hence, every internet user is advised to access only known reputed websites for the latest happenings to ensure safe computing.
Bleed Blue!
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Archana Sangili, Content Writer
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