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Criminals using SEO techniques to spread malware

Criminals are following the lead of legitimate businesses and using popular search engine terms to ensure that their viruses reach as many users as possible.

That is according to a new study which has identified the top ten keywords that are most likely to direct a user to a website hosting malware or other computer viruses.

According to the research carried out by McAfee, the riskiest word to type into a search engine in 2008 was 'screensaver', with as many as six out of ten results likely to have been carrying malware.

Meanwhile, in the UK, users searching for 'bebo' were found to be at the greatest risk of clicking on to a harmful site, while criminals are now even using the names of top politicians to enhance the impact of their viruses.

Commenting on the findings, Jeff Green from McAfee explained that cyber criminals are getting smarter.

"Like sharks smelling blood in the water, hackers will create related websites laden with adware and malware whenever a particular topic increases in popularity," he said.

A recent study carried out by the University of Exeter on behalf of the Office of Fair Trading found that one in five UK consumers are particularly vulnerable to phishing scams.

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