Our search engines aren’t impenetrable to hackers, who are becoming more and more savvy about how to take advantage of users who search for specific topics using specific keywords.
The latest security flaw to come to light is possibly the strangest one yet. According to tech experts, there is a six-word phrase you should never type into your search bar because it can yield scary results. According to cybersecurity firm Sophos, this search term has been taken over by cybercriminals and can lead to your device getting hacked.
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Bengal Cats
If you’ve ever expressed curiosity about Bengal cats, now isn’t the best time to start Googling about it. And if you do, you might want to leave “Australia” out of your questioning. Sophos has revealed that the six-word phrase that has been hijacked by cybercriminals is the seeming innocent “Are Bengal cats legal in Australia?”
Tech researchers say Google’s results for this search term include several fake websites that can deliver malicious software to your device by simply clicking on them. This malware will then attempt to collect financial information about you which could result in your accounts being purged before you even realize what happened. With your device infected, it can then spread easily to your other devices.
If you’re thinking: how many people could possibly be googling “Bengal cats in Australia,” this is exactly what hackers are hoping for. The more niche a search question, the less they’ll have to compete with sites that get more traffic for that specific SEO question. You may have assumed you’ve stumbled about the one site that will tell you everything you need to know about owning a Bengal cat in Australia — because there aren’t many sites that are offering such a comprehensive explanation of the topic.
Whenever you search on Google it’s a good idea to look at the first page results, but if you’re looking into a more niche topic pay attention to the website URL before you click on it. If anything looks even slightly off, avoid visiting that site.
