Antivirus Company Thirtyseven4 Warns of Web Search Dangers

MEDINA, Ohio, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Antivirus and security company Thirtyseven4, LLC warns today of the increasing danger of performing online searches for hot news topics.  It has been observed that cybercriminals are rapidly increasing their usage of a technique called Search Engine Optimization (SEO) poisoning and exploiting weaknesses in how search engines are implemented to get newly created malicious websites listed on the front page of search results.  The resulting websites host new malware such as rogueware and scareware and are filled with hundreds of the most searched words on search engines.

According to research and analysis conducted by Thirtyseven4 and its partners, users searching 'Tiger Woods Confession', '2010 Olympic Games', and 'Apple iPad' were most likely to inadvertently visit a malicious website last month.   "Given the popularity of Tiger Woods and the nature of the controversy surrounding him, the worldwide awareness of the Olympic Games, and the buzz every new Apple product generates, it isn't surprising that malware authors are attempting to capitalize on the public's interest," said Steven Sundermeier, Owner of Thirtyseven4.  "What is surprising is the rate at which these harmful sites are appearing," concluded Sundermeier.  

Thirtyseven4 recommends five simple steps to avoid falling victim to such attacks.  

1. When searching hot news topics, go to a reputable news source website by typing in the web address directly in to the browser
2. When visiting less trusted websites for the first time, enable the secure browsing feature of the browser
3. Never click 'Ok', 'Yes', or similar if a message box should appear seeking or giving permission to install some component, object or feature, when visiting unknown websites
4. Make sure that antivirus software is installed and that its' virus database files are up-to-date
5. Maintain regular operating system updates

A 30 day evaluation license of Thirtyseven4 Antivirus is available at http://downloads.thirtyseven4.com.  A free Online Malware Scanner is also available at http://scanner.thirtyseven4.com.

About Thirtyseven4:

Born out of a desire to better connect antivirus protection solutions with premium customer support and service, Thirtyseven4, LLC seeks to protect schools, businesses, governmental agencies and home-users with the best antivirus products available.  Thirtyseven4 is an American company built on honesty, trust and value for the customer.  Thirtyseven4 Antivirus is available online at www.thirtyseven4.com. 

SOURCE Thirtyseven4, LLC