Beware: Apple iPad searches poisoned to lead to malware!!

The Apple iPad, Apple’s latest release has received rather mixed opinions from both experts and followers; it has, nevertheless succeeded in getting a lot of public attention.

Hackers have found a way to use the iPad’s popularity for their own benefit - launching a Black hat Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to take advantage of
security loop holes in blogs and other such sites using PHP to lead the user to malicious websites. The fraudsters put popular keywords such as "iPad" and "apple tablet announcement" in "compromised legitimate" websites to trick the search engines into directing people to them. Interestingly, the websites are in no way related to the iPad. They are related to "fake antivirus" software.

Trend Labs warns that such search results will direct to fake anti-virus software, "Live PC Care" which, when executed, will warn you that your computer is infected. If you are lured into installing the software, you will be taken to a phishing page asking for your credit card information.



Other popular web searches that have fallen prey to such attempts by hackers include the crisis in Haiti (Pathetic!), the movie Avatar, Google’s new Nexus One smartphone and the death of the pop king, Michael Jackson.

Beware while surfing the net dear readers, it's a dangerous world out there! So sadistic and horrifying!!!