Searches for iPad can lead some to malware

Before anyone has even bought an iPad, cyber criminals are already trying to profit from the buzz surrounding Apple’s new tablet computer. According to reports from internet security firms, searches leading up to and immediately following Apple’s announcement last month may have exposed them to rogue anti-virus attacks. These black hat SEO attacks – where infected computers are bombarded with popups saying the computer has been infected with a virus and directing the user to bogus anti-virus software – occurred when they searched for terms such as “apple tablet computer” or “apple tablet computer announcement.” “It makes no sense to warn anyone off searching for the latest news and information by using Google,” said a Tech Herald article. “Odds are that you will find legit sites more often than malicious ones.” According to the Tech Herald, Google is blocking some of the malicious sites, but not all of them. Additionally the article confirms that several anti-virus providers are also blocking attempts to install the malware.

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