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Several Link-Spam Architectures Revealed

Posted by timothy on from the labyrinthine-luring dept.

workie writes "Using data derived from website infections, RescueTheWeb.org has found several interesting link-spam architectures. One architecture is where concentric layers of hijacked websites are used to increase the page rank and breadth of reach (within search engine search results) of scam sites. The outer layers link to the inner layers, eventually linking to a site that redirects the user to the scam site. Another architecture involves hijacked sites that redirect the user to fake copies of Google, having the appearance that the visitor is still within Google, but in reality they are on a Google lookalike that contains only nefarious links."

11 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. For the paranoid... by Antony-Kyre · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Consider doing all your banking, and any other sensitive stuff, on a computer totally separate from your web-surfing computer. Kind of like having a dummy wallet containing only petty cash and your ID when you go out at night versus your credit cards, etc.

    1. Re:For the paranoid... by SlothDead · · Score: 3, Insightful

      When a vulnerabily is found on your LiveCD you won't be able to patch it.

    2. Re:For the paranoid... by asdf7890 · · Score: 3, Informative

      No, but you can just download a new version of the CD.

    3. Re:For the paranoid... by gzipped_tar · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Ever heard of LiveOS persistent storage?

      --
      Colorless green Cthulhu waits dreaming furiously.
    4. Re:For the paranoid... by oiron · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is 2010; install it onto a VM...

    5. Re:For the paranoid... by Runaway1956 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That isn't paranoia - it's good common sense. Statistics tell us that an ungodly number of computers are compromised. Why do your banking and other sensitive online transactions from a potentially compromised machine? Use those LiveCD's, or a virtual machine, or almost ANYTHING other than your Windows browsing and porn watching machine!!

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    6. Re:For the paranoid... by Trepidity · · Score: 2, Funny

      exactly three, but that three is, at the same time, only one

      --
      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    7. Re:For the paranoid... by couchslug · · Score: 3, Informative

      "When a vulnerabily is found on your LiveCD you won't be able to patch it."

      Slashdotters should know better...

      You can boot from a live Linux CD and remaster it, which is very cool.

      http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Knoppix_Remastering_Howto

      You can also keep a variety of live OS including custom WinPE versions.

      http://www.911cd.net/forums/

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    8. Re:For the paranoid... by couchslug · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is 2010, run your VM off a live CD!

      http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/LiveCD

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  2. Link Spam? by AndGodSed · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I thought that google had ways of detecting these and down-ranking them?

    --

    Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity

    1. Re:Link Spam? by asdf7890 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Every time Google adjust the rankings to account for the current crop of deceptive SEO techniques, people think up new deceptive SEO techniques. It is a moving target and Google can't move too fast without thinking as they risk disrupting unaffected parts of the algorithm resulting in reducing its effectiveness when presented with genuine links.

      Also Google may be the biggest name in town but they are not the only big name by a long shot. an SEO technique is not completely invalidated until such time as all popular engines have a away to discount it.

      And the summary (didn't RTFA, sorry) doesn't state that the techniques were proven to be working, just that this is what people are trying.