Don’t Know Something? Google It, But Be Careful.

During lunch with my coworkers yesterday I must have heard the statement “Google it” at least four times within the span of thirty minutes.  The statement would always be made when someone didn’t know the answer to a trivia question or wanted to prove a fact he or she stated.  After the second time someone went off to Google something I decide to tag along with him to see what he did after he typed the key words into the Google search bar.  He did exactly what I thought he would do and clicked on the very first result returned from the search.

It is not safe to assume a search result is safe to click on just because it was produced on a legitimate site like Google.  In an effort to trick users into launching their malicious act, scammers have devised ways to make websites containing their malicious code come out near the top of a search.  Manipulating a site to come out at the top or near the top of search a result is not difficult and can be as simple as altering the site’s name to closely resemble a popular website.

Does this means it is not safe to conduct Internet searches using search engines?  Well, we all know that is not a realistic solution, but there are other measures users can implement and practice to protect them when conducting an Internet search using a search engine.

 

One of the first things a user can do to protect their self is to use software specifically designed to check the results returned after an Internet search has been conducted and identify the results that are safe and the sites that may contain potentially dangerous content.  For example, McAfee offers free site checking security app called SiteAdvisor.  Users with SiteAdvisor will see a green, yellow, or red icon next to search results indicating if the site is safe to visit.  McAfee SiteAdvisor is just one of many site checking software applications available and users must choose the one that best meets their needs.

The next measure users can implement to protect their computer and / or network from malicious content when conducting Internet searches is to set the filter settings on the preferred search engine settings page. The search filter setting allows users to choose whether they would like to filter explicit content, which could contain malicious content, from their search results.  For example, Bing allows users to set filter settings without being signed in.  On the other hand, Google users must be signed in to choose and set their filter settings.

Last users can protect themselves by ensuring they type in the correct address.  Many scammers develop sites with addresses that are one character different than legit websites.  Typing in the correct address, ensuring secure pages begin with https, and ensuring sites end with the correct domain (.gov, .edu, .mil, .net) will decrease a user’s chances of visiting an erroneous site.  If there is any doubt as to the validity of a site users can check a site using Google’s safe browsing feature.  Users simply type in the following address into the address bar: http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= and input the name of the questioned site after the equal sign.  For example, if a user questioned the validity of Bellevue University’s website he or she would simple type the http://google.com/safebrowsing/dianostic?site=bellevue.edu into their Internet browser and receive a diagnostic page.

Be smart when you conduct Internet searches.  Implement the aforementioned at a minimum to protect yourself and mitigate your chances of becoming another scammed victim.

References

Safe search settings and software will help you avoid danger sites. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.scambusters.org/safesearch.html