The Tiger Woods car accident has had the web abuzz over the weekend. Like nearly anything else that creates such buzz, cyber-criminals will find a way to exploit it. This incident is no exception.
According to security company Symantec, interest in Tiger's accident and rumors surrounding its cause has given scareware peddlers "ripe opportunity" to "poison web search engines." Because the story has generated such a swell in web traffic and searches, malicious entities surely couldn't resist. The story has appeared frequently in the top Google searches since the news broke.
Symantec says it has observed that some search results redirect users to different malicious domains, such as:
- vir-curemypc-now.com
- egafuki.cn
- online-scanner-free.net
"From an IT security point of view, this unfortunate incident is just another fruit ripe for the picking as far as malware writers are concerned," says Symantec's Hon Lau. "It comes as no surprise that the creators of rogue antivirus or misleading application software have already jumped on the bandwagon and attempted to poison web search engine results to take advantage of this spike in web search activity."
Naturally, the company is advising web searchers and those interested in the Tiger Woods story to be on guard. Symantec reminds us that when you search for info on the web, it is best to make sure your computer is secure. In addition, stay away from online sources that seem to "strong-arm" you into buying anti-virus software.
On a related note, Tech Blorge notes that the Tiger Woods story was broken on Twitter, as opposed to traditional media. These cases always provide for an interesting look at how new media is changing in the era of social media.
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A tip:
If you land on any of these "buzz story" pages and your browser locks and adobe reader is firing up, Turn OFF your computer IMMEDIATELY. Someone is forcing malware on you.
I've had a few close calls lately, but was just able to get the computer to shut down in the nick of time - you have to act quick though.
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Actually....
I don't understand why Tiger Wood's malware scare should be any different for any other celebrity news that's got a big following?
Take any trend that people are talking about and there is opportunity for any malware site.