New Google Safe Search: Securing Websites and Users

Safe browsing has always been under discussion by programmers, social engineers and the users alike. Google has taken numerous remedial actions with Google Safe Search on making the search engine safe from various malware and phishing. Once Google flags the website to be insecure, the website will be removed from the search results. But as soon as the website is secure again, the warnings are removed and the website will be added to the search index again, then this annoyance resurfaces and vulnerable users are the sufferers in the end.

Now, Google has gone one step further to remove the ambiguity that led to these misadventures. From now onwards, sites flagged for being repeat offenders will not have the privilege of appeal against warnings for the whole month. It’sabout time, the noose is being tightened around the cyber scums’ necks, because honestly, it becomes a nightmare when you just open a site to read up on some news and end up getting your computer messed up, big time! Anyways, site that are hacked are not flagged as ‘repeat offenders’, but only those that are posting harmful content purposefully, will get this flag.

Have you heard of the saying, ‘Curiosity kills the cat’? Well, it definitely kills your software if you are not dissuaded from clicking on such harmful sites. But we humans don’t generally learn the lesson until we devour the forbidden fruit. Google definitely knows us better than we think. They are putting another page hoping against hope, that perhaps now, the majority will not open the dangerous sites.

Phishing

The other harmful entity though, is still going somehow unchecked. Phishing! It’s about time that this malpractice and phishing offenders come under the scrutiny. Most of the massive breeches on the internet are being done by these phishers. Gateway email filters and web security gateways may be able to keep these phishers at bay but much more comprehensive safety measures still need to be taken. But until such measures are being devised or suggested, there are plenty of resources available on the internet that provide guidance for combating phishing. Organizations like Anti-Phishing Working Group Inc. will help you spot, avoid and report these phishing attacks. Then there are interactive training aids available to stop the employees from being phished and avoid such traps, like PhishMe.

There are plenty of warnings being forwarded by the concerned authorities. Now it’s the responsibility of the users to heed to them. Remember, cybercrimes are real thing now. No technology has ever come to bring comfort to your lives, have come without its disadvantages. Criminals will be criminals, you know! They will get their hands on any source that they even have the slightest idea will get them money. Now your money is in banks and in your credit cards as well. Whatever information you provide on internet, is always going to be vulnerable to such dangers. So websites owners and users, it is fair enough to heed to the warnings rendered to you by Google Safe Search or any other source.

Hopefully, you’ll be heeding to the warning signs. Because, if you didn’t, the consequences can be drastic and nonreversible damage can be inflicted to your system and website! Let me know your thoughts about this new Google Safe Search policy, will it be enough? What more can be done in this regard?

Source news article: Engadget