Spammy blog comments can affect your SEO

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If you thought that spammy links on your comment section were not a big deal well, think again. The official Google Webmaster Central blog published an article years ago, talking about this issue.

Here is a quote from it:
Comments can be a really good source of information and an efficient way of engaging a site’s users in discussions. This valuable content should not be replaced by gibberish nonsense keywords and links.

For this reason there are many ways of securing your blog and stop spammers-

 - Turn on comment moderation.
 - Use CAPTCHAs and other methods to prevent automated comment spamming.
 - Use the "nofollow" attribute for links in the comment field.
 - Disallow hyperlinks in comments.
 - Disallow anonymous posting.
 - Block comment pages using robots.txt or meta tags.

The article also warns against using blog comments as a link building strategy, which probably means that Google is sensoring more closely the links posted in blog comments now. This means one thing: posting hundreds of comments (either on dofollow or nofollow blogs) with tailored keywords would probably be a good idea, as it could get your site flagged for manipulative behavior.

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Google now Notifying possible infections of malware

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A couple of days ago Google announced that it will start notifying users of its search engines about possible infections of malware or trojans on their machines. Initially the effort will be focused on the DNSChanger trojan, but hopefully it will be extended to other malware.

DNSChanger is a Windows-based trojan which changes the registry containing the nameservers your computer uses to find websites. As a result you’ll type something on the browser and will be redirect to another website, possibly containing further malware.

In order to be notified about a possible infection all you need to do is to search on Google.com

If you are wondering why they don’t this more often, here’s why, according to a Google security engineer:

“In general we want to notify users [of malware infections] anytime we are capable of doing so, but the fact that we don’t do this more often is really just because it’s hard to come across cases where we can do it this accurately. In many cases we only have maybe a 90 percent confidence that someone is infected, and the false positive rate of 10 percent is simply too high to be feasible. But in this case we can be essentially certain that someone is infected.”

The site KrebsOnSecurity has a detailed piece on the matter. Here’s the link to the full article.

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How to Keep Your Home LAN Secure

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Do you know if your home LAN is actually secure? Whether you have a wired or wireless LAN, without the proper security precautions, all of your information and data can be stolen in an instant by an anonymous hacker. Don’t let something like this happen to you by following the proper steps!

First Step, when installing your router, you need to change both your administrative login and password. This is the first vulnerability a hacker will look at. What most people don’t actually know is all routers of the same brand are given the exact same login name and password. Without changing it, the hacker can easily gain access to your network and snoop around.

The Next Step, you need to take is to upgrade your encryption. While WEP has been the standard piece of encryption for years, it is recommended that you upgrade your security to WPA2, which is much more secure. You can easily download a fix for this by simply doing a quick Google search. If you are running off of a Windows computer, Microsoft provides the fix straight from their website. Once your software has been fully updated with the new security settings, you should log back into your router’s administration panel and update the security encryption to WPA2.

Next Up, make sure to change your SSID name to something other than the default name. Most default SSID’s are simply named Belkin or Linksys and this may encourage a hacker to try and break into your network because it looks like you simply plugged in your router and never touched it again. By changing the name of the router, the hacker may stay away from your network because they will perceive that you were smart enough to add security to the network. Relating to your SSID, you should also disable the broadcast network of your router so only your devices can be connected to it. This way, no one else will see or be able to connect to it.

A Major and Important Security Step, many people forget to utilize is the router’s built-in firewall. While these are normally turned on by default, certain network settings or other security programs installed on the network may prevent the firewall from actually being enabled to function correctly. By enabling your router’s firewall at all times, you are adding on an extra layer of protection to keep you safe from any hacking attempts in the future.

As far as other settings go with your router, be sure to check that the “remote administration” option is disabled. This should automatically be disabled by default but again, it’s always good to check. This feature, if enabled, is basically inviting hackers to attack your network and steal your information. Hackers can basically access your whole home network if this option is enabled, including devices like your printer or anything else connected to the network such as a smartphone or iPad.

To minimize the leak of your wireless network outside of your home, keep the router away from the edge of your building or home. If you can, keep this router in a central area like the middle of a room. This ensures that the wireless signal will be fairly weak outside of the building. Keep in mind that wireless routers vary in terms of their signal range, so try walking around your house with your laptop to see where you can pick up a signal from. Then you can adjust accordingly.

It can be a scary event if a hacker ever breaks into your network. Your personal information can be stolen as well as any important files that you may have. By following all of the steps listed above, you can be sure that your home LAN will be extremely secure against any type of attacks and you’ll always have a tight lock on your data.

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New Trojan Targets Android Users

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A new piece of Android malware called NotCompatible is attempting to spread itself by attacking Android users who visit hacked websites. Android owners are advised to remain vigilant against these attacks.

The malware is notable because it marks the first time this kind of attack is known to have been used against Android devices in the wild. The way it works is simple. A hacked website hosts a malicious app, which is then transmitted to every Android handset that visits the site. It’s a tactic that’s been used against PCs for years but is now making the transition to mobile devices.

Fortunately, Android’s built-in security does a decent job of thwarting the attack. Because apps require permissions the usual permission screen will appear when the malware tries to install itself. Users who have not chosen to allow the installation of unofficial apps won’t be able to complete the installation even if they accept the app.

Still, there is some threat. When the malware appears it poses as a security update and declares a limited number of permissions. This may lure some users into thinking that it’s harmless or even a valid system update. False-flag attacks like this rely on mass distribution. Their creators know most people won’t fall for it – but some small number will.

The app is a trojan, but the payload and/or purpose is unknown. It connects to a command and control server but then does nothing. Of course, the server can send new instructions at any time, and likely will at some point in the future.

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