James Delahunty
17 Dec 2010 22:54
Google's popular search engine service now warns users about possibly hacked or otherwise dangerous websites that make it into its search results.
The new warning system was announced on Google's Official Blog on Friday. If Google's system detects any signs that a website has been compromised by hackers, spammed or defaced in some way that may make it a threat to the searcher, it will add a small message reading, "This site may be compromised" directly under the search result.
"We use a variety of automated tools to detect common signs of hacking as quickly as possible," wrote Google director of product management Mike Cassidy. "In addition to protecting users, these notices will also help webmasters more quickly discover when someone is abusing their sites."
Once the problem has been fixed at the suspicious website, the warning message will be automatically removed from the search results, according to Google. The company also announced the addition of new languages and domains to its Instant search feature, and made several upgrades to the Google Translate system.