New Chrome, Safari, Edge Warning
December 16, 2024 – Published on Forbes
If you’re getting up early to grab a last-minute online shopping bargain this week, be warned—cyber criminals are getting up even earlier, they know what you want and they’re ready to steal your money and ruin your holidays.
With SEO manipulation and poisoning surging, The Wall Street Journal warns holiday shoppers that the most obvious Google terms could be the most dangerous.
As you do your holiday shopping online, you should avoid searching “for things like ‘top vacuums’ or ‘best dishwashers’,” the WSJ advises, explaining that “some firms buy Google ads to promote these ‘ratings’ sites as a quick way to steer customers to pricey off-brand products and potential rip-offs.” Unsurprisingly, “best” actually seems to be worst.
The websites you’ll find, WSJ warns, often have red flags such as sponsored listings, foreign ownership, lack of contact information and gushing “expert” reviews.
“A quick Google search can lead you directly to online ads that have been purchased by threat actors,” GuidePoint Security says. “These ads often look legitimate and rank toward the top of search results, so that threat actors can get ahead of legitimate services or businesses.”
For all Chrome, Safari and Edge users, with their 95% share of the U.S. browser market, these warnings are critical and need to be taken seriously.
Read More HERE.