This Blog Post comes from "View From the Bunker" - a blog about security and availability from some of the folk at Symantec. We will continue to check this blog and share its insights here regularly.

iPad’s domination of the news agenda has provided a golden opportunity for cybercriminals to target consumers hungry for more information on Apple’s new creation.

As soon as the announcement was made, we observed that related search terms had become targets for Blackhat SEO attacks and phishing attacks. People interested in finding out more about the iPad over the internet must be on guard. 

The excitement over the iPad has been building for months now, so it’s only to be expected that its announcement would spark a huge spike in search traffic relating to certain terms. Sadly, this is just the kind of opportunity fraudsters like to exploit by poisoning search terms, and we can also expect to see iPad-related spam and phishing attacks hitting consumers hard over the coming weeks. We’d advise the curious to be on their guard. 

Tips for avoiding iPad pain:

•  Avoid clicking on suspicious links in email or IM messages as these may be links to spoofed Web sites
• Symantec security experts suggest typing Web addresses directly into the browser rather than clicking on links within messages.
• If an email offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Go through authorised and known suppliers or information sources
• Always be sure that your operating system is up-to-date with the latest updates, and employ a comprehensive security suite
• Delete all spam

 Candid Wueest