The Scotsman reports that Google will warn it’s users if links in its search results will expose the user to potential spyware or scumare that will clog up their computer.
Customers who click on “dangerous keywords” such as “free screensavers”, “Download Yahoo messenger” or “Bearshare” will initially see a simple alert, with warnings becoming more detailed as Stop Badware researchers develop expertise in how users’ machines are infiltrated.
The warning advises users to try a different site, but Google will not intervene if they choose to continue.
A report released in May looked at the safety of the results returned by a search and found that, on average, 4-6 per cent of the sites carried harmful content.
For some keywords, such as “free screensavers” the level of potentially dangerous sites leapt to 64 per cent.
No comments yet.