ESET: Fraudulent ads may be hidden in Internet search results

According to the statement from the international supplier of business and home security software solutions, despite the increasing use of ad blockers and sophisticated security software, malware spread through ads is still a big problem: in 2023, for example, Google blocked or removed more than 1 billion ads, including many that promoted malware.

The statement also mentions several fraud methods, in one case the URL of the fraudulent ad was very similar to the original, and the linked website was a copy that looked almost identical to the real website. The prepared software for download contained malware, a remote access trojan, which allowed attackers to covertly take control of the browser and steal users’ data. In another case, the attacker used fake domains, disguising them as IP scanner software – a reconnaissance application that can display all network devices – which could put internet users searching for specific products at risk, as there were only small clues as to whether a given ad or website was genuine or not.

According to cybersecurity experts at ESET, the first step in preventing fraud is to raise awareness and for users to limit data recording in their browsers using privacy and security settings, such as cookie settings, tracking protection, and browsing history retention.

Using reliable ad blockers is also beneficial, as it is one way to prevent malicious ads from reaching them, and although it is not 100 percent effective on its own, it provides strong protection when combined with other solutions.