Google helps website owners fight infection

Posted on 26 Nov 2009 at 10:04

Google has updated a new system designed to help website operators detect when their sites have been hacked and programmed to spread viruses. The new feature is included in Google's Webmaster Tools, a suite of free online services that allow those who run websites help Google index it more effectively.

The 'Malware details' system analyses each site and tries to detect common types of attack. For example, attackers often add pieces of javascript to hacked webpages, which then infect visitors. Malware Details should highlight the sudden appearance of such code, alerting the webmaster that something is wrong.

The system will only discover the symptoms of an attack, rather than the cause, so if you use Google to track your site's integrity and find a problem you'll still need to get to the root of it. As Google says, "If the underlying vulnerability is not identified and patched, it is likely that the site will be compromised again."

Author: Simon Edwards

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