Tip #4481 - Google Ads Attacked
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Google
Ads Attacked
So,
tell me, how much do you love Google? Do you get excited every time
you see their logo? As we all know, Google takes precedence over a lot
of the other search engine Web sites on the Internet today and their
name just seems to show up everywhere. These days, it seems impossible
to go to a Web site and not see the word Google on every page you visit.
Of course, there are some sites that are Google-free, but from their
search engine boxes to their advertisements, etc., Google is all over
the place!
And that's precisely
why we all need to be extra careful. It was discovered earlier this
week (December 25, 2007) that some of the Google ads placed on certain
Web sites were hijacked by Trojan software. So, what's that mean exactly?
Well, the software started replacing the text ran by Google with ads
from different providers. If you happened to click on one of those,
you would be redirected to a third party ad instead of one placed by
Google. The Trojan would then begin to infect your computer. It's a
sneaky little thing, huh?!
Now,
according to the security company BitDefender, the Trojan (going by
the name of Trojan.Qhost.WU) is spreading at a low level and it is causing
medium damage, but you still need to pay close attention to what you
click on when you're browsing through Web sites. A Google spokesperson
said they are working to remove the dangerous sites from their ad network
and their search results. They have both manual and automated processes
set up to enforce those policies. All in all, this is an unfortunate
occurrence, but if you're extra careful when using the Internet, you
will be just fine. Plus, it's comforting to know how hard Google is
working to keep us all safe as well. Just giving you a heads up!
~ Erin
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