Dummy-spit from Serena Williams an ace for malware pushers

Serena Williams' US Open semi final outburst has served up an ace for cyber criminals, according to web security specialists Symantec.

The company says the outburst has fuelled an SEO (search engine optimisation) campaign that could see duped web users downloading malicious software.

People looking for the video of Williams having a grump at a US Open line judge is one of the web's most-searched items today.

Search terms such as 'Serena Williams Outburst' may see users directed to a dodgy domain called pixnet.com.

Symantec warns that the site - while appearing genuine - has been hacked and hosts fake anti-virus scanners.

"Unwary visitors to this site will instantly see browser windows pop-up warning them of various security threats, before being offered the chance to download a program that will fix them," says Symantic security response team boss Hon Lau.

"They should refuse this as this is fake antivirus software that could harm their computers."

"This attack, otherwise known as 'SEO poisoning' is exactly the kind of thing that opportunistic criminals do to take advantage of people's natural curiosity," he continued.

"It is a small attack at the moment, but serves to show how dangerous misleading applications can be. They might look like legitimate software, but they're there to harvest your personal details and hold your computer to ransom.

"Unless they want to put themselves at risk of identity theft or fund organised crime we'd advise users to stay well away," he warns.


- NZ HERALD STAFF