Pirates of the search results page
Venue
CHI'13 Proceedings, ACM (2013), pp. 3023-3026
Publication Year
2013
Authors
Kathy Baxter, Lori Wu Malahy, Jeremy Lubin
BibTeX
Abstract
Search malware redirects nearly 100% of infected users' clicks on web search
results to unintended websites. Most published research details how web-based
malware works and technological interventions to stop it before users ever see it;
however, the constant evolution of obfuscation techniques makes it difficult to
prevent infection altogether. User interventions in the form of toolbars, dialogs,
and user education have seen limited success. Previous research has focused on a
prototypical type of malware; a sophisticated program that conceals itself (e.g.,
surreptitious download onto a host computer) or tries to fool the user by mimicking
known, trusted websites (e.g., phishing attacks). The goal of our research is to
understand users' experience, understanding of and response to search malware. The
present research shows that even when confronted with blatantly unusual search
behavior, people are unlikely to attribute blame to malware or to engage in
behavior that may remedy the situation.
