Softpedia
 

NEWS CATEGORIES:



NEWS ARCHIVE >>
SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >>
MEET THE EDITORS >>
Home > News > Security

November 27th, 2006, 11:00 GMT · By Bogdan Popa

STOP! This Website Can Harm Your Computer!

SHARE:

Adjust text size:


Last week, Google decided to filter the entire adult content so many websites were removed from Google's index. The battle against illegal sites continues with another important decision: when you'll search Google for some specific illegal content, you'll be redirected to a warning page that informs you about the risks assumed for visiting the page.

"Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer!
Return to the previous page and pick another result or try another search to find what you're looking for. Or you can continue to http://www.****.com/ at your own risk," Google says in the advisory.

What exactly does this alert means? Google informs you that the site you were trying to visit was reported to StopBadware.org as a webpage that contains malware or other infected files.

"The website you attempted to visit has been reported to StopBadware.org as a site that hosts or distributes badware. You landed on this page because members of the public reported this website to StopBadware.org as hosting or distributing badware. Though our researchers have not yet reviewed this website, once they do, this warning page will be replaced with a detailed report on the site's badware," StopBadware says.

This new implementation made by Google is very important for the Internet security we all need. Imagine that, even without a security solution installed, you'll be advised that visiting a certain site can harm your computer.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

25,929 hits · 29 comments · Link to this article · Print article · Send to friend · Subscribe to news

MUST-READ RELATED ARTICLES:


Symantec Unveils Norton 360 Public Beta

Forefront Client Security Public Beta Available for Download

Symantec: Security Threat Is Gearing Toward Electronic Transactions

Kaspersky Lab Describes Malware Evolution

Join the Fight against Hackers!

READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: simon on 12 Dec 2008, 02:15 UTC reply to this comment

all fine and good - but try to proceed to that website after considering the warning, there is no way to go! You are blocked. At least I am. You merely receive a static page of link - the options are thus:

1. "Return to the previous page"
2. visit "Google's Safe Browsing diagnostic page for this site", where Google waxes philosophic over site analysis
3. visit "StopBadware.org" to presumably waste further time learning how i can protect myself from the impending infections you seem to infer when, truly, all i really want is to delve into said site for information with my own protective measures in place
4. tip toe into "Google's Webmaster Tools"; where i can request a review of the site (if i own it) and ~
5. visit Webmaster Help Center.

warn us of the site google. that's fine. but allow us to continue with our surfing if we so desire.

Comment #1.1 by: lozzy on 31 Jan 2009, 15:15 GMT

I know. Itis really annoying. It is fine trying to protect us but all the sites come up with it and i can't stop it!

Any ideas anyone?


Comment #2 by: 2Ten on 25 Dec 2008, 08:07 UTC reply to this comment

How do I stop it from happening? I did not ask Google to do anything for me.

Comment #2.1 by: deasey on 31 Jan 2009, 15:19 GMT

Absolutely agree, how do I opt out?


Comment #3 by: gritts on 31 Jan 2009, 14:47 UTC reply to this comment

I woke this morning to this same message posted for ALL of the sites I attempted to connect to through their search results... Nice.... What a pain...


Comment #4 by: asdf on 31 Jan 2009, 14:47 UTC reply to this comment

lame, I already have daily updated security softwares on my computer, why would I need this!? this prevents me from surfing the net! WTF! THEY EVEN SAY MY BANK HAS MALWARES! AND MSN! AND EVERYTHING! Anyways, its lame and pointless! Its just to annoy all the google users. Google getting sucky now...


Comment #5 by: Ma5t on 31 Jan 2009, 14:49 UTC reply to this comment

heh.... i get this error always... whatever im searching through google toolbar.... i tried to acess google translate and i got that error :(


Comment #6 by: Sean Cordes on 31 Jan 2009, 14:50 UTC reply to this comment

It gives me this message pretty much every page I try to go to including .gov, .edu sites, and the stopbadware page, Everything pretty much except youtube (go figure) I had to switch to yahoo.


Comment #7 by: bruckwine@gmail.com on 31 Jan 2009, 14:59 UTC reply to this comment

only way is to edit the URL in the browser bar removing the google part down to the actual URL..damn annoying if you ask me!


Comment #8 by: Jim on 31 Jan 2009, 14:59 UTC reply to this comment

Interestingly enough, this site shows up as blocked. What's to stop someone from falsly reporting any site to StopBadware.org (including Google)?


Comment #9 by: Don Murray on 31 Jan 2009, 15:02 UTC reply to this comment

After using google for years, I finally see fit to find another search provider. I understand fully what they are trying to do, but I was looking for someone to do some sewing on my jeans, and goolge would not let me continue to the site.

TIME FOR A NEW SEARCH PROVIDER. GOOGLE HAS FINALLY HIT ROCK BOTTOM. IT SUCKS.


Comment #10 by: Antohny Karper on 31 Jan 2009, 15:06 UTC reply to this comment

it always comes up on my PC even when i click on the result for www.google.com itself! help me :(


Comment #11 by: Obsquawiztcomkwalski on 31 Jan 2009, 15:09 UTC reply to this comment

Google just lost me as a customer. EVERY site tirggers the warning. Trust the cloud to google? I think not. They can't seem to manage their apps.


Comment #12 by: kingB on 31 Jan 2009, 15:10 UTC reply to this comment

When you see a page like this
http://www.google.ca/interstitial?url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/STOP-This-Website-Can-Harm-You-Computer-41100.shtml


For your URL you delete this part http://www.google.ca/interstitial?url=

press enter there you go

Ya I know those.....


Comment #13 by: TommyWillB on 31 Jan 2009, 15:14 UTC reply to this comment

It's blocking my personal web site. There is nothing "adult" about it, except for the fact that I am one.

And the site to get it un-blocked returns a 301 server busy error.

Dumb!

Time to switch to Yahoo!


Comment #14 by: mike in VA on 31 Jan 2009, 15:14 UTC reply to this comment

stop using google. it appears to be happening on every webpage now.


Comment #15 by: zeventh on 31 Jan 2009, 15:15 UTC reply to this comment

Their intention is good but this causes a lot of inconvenience since there is no "Proceed" or "Continue" button. Instead of being helpful , this becomes an annoying notice.


Comment #16 by: James on 31 Jan 2009, 15:17 UTC reply to this comment

So far this filter seems to work way to well. I have yet to see a site that doesn't report this option.


Comment #17 by: arnold on 31 Jan 2009, 15:17 UTC reply to this comment

Now all search terms on google has that disclaimer. just stop using google and use yahoo instead.


Comment #18 by: vatanak on 31 Jan 2009, 15:21 UTC reply to this comment

HI, i don't understand what going on, but when i try to get to some resources on webpages, it is all blocked with the same above message, i can't do any study research. I tried with some website like facebook, just testing type on the google search area, it still blocks those website,

when can i view those website,


Comment #19 by: Mike on 31 Jan 2009, 15:22 UTC reply to this comment

Dudes, I can't surf anymore....

Gimme back my board.

WT? is going on? Am I in Chinna?


Comment #20 by: roimimo on 31 Jan 2009, 15:47 UTC reply to this comment

I got that warning searching "Metropolitan Opera" on google using Firefox. I had no trouble doing the same on Google's Chrome! Placing the Met's url on Firefox got me to the site with no trouble. This whole approach for placing a warning and preventing google from taking you to a specific site on the basis of unverified issues when it can be countered is a nuisance. I am thinking of switching back to Yahoo for searches.


Comment #21 by: dave on 31 Jan 2009, 16:00 UTC reply to this comment

I don't mind being warned of a potentially dangerous site, but when this happened for me enything i typed led to this link. disney, keelynet, fark, cute pink bunnies, everything. I doubt disney.com is going to infect my computer with malware


Comment #22 by: Robin on 31 Jan 2009, 23:50 UTC reply to this comment

Google the world's mightiest search engine will soon be a piece of history if it contines blocking websites this way. As said by others, it is OK you warn me of the potentially harmful site, but allow me access to it. Now, Bitdefender my antivirus is one such site that is blocked. Another one is Dell, my computer. I need to visit these sites for the latest in the forumand support. Bitdefender and Dell should sue Google for this unlawful blocking. Soon the entire world will be at Google's door for settlement charges.

I WAS SO FRUSTATED WITH GOOGLE ON 31 JAN, 2001, THAT I SWITCHED OVER TO YAHOO AND MICORSOFT TO REACH BITDEFENDER AND DELL.


Comment #23 by: Dennis on 28 Mar 2009, 00:14 UTC reply to this comment

It does it to me when Im using Google Chrome, but It lets me Proceed.Its very Annoying, and I want it to stop.


Comment #24 by: Stephan on 01 Oct 2009, 06:00 UTC reply to this comment

very bad... google starts to be very Annoying!

the website life.ru has nothing to do with illegal content... and they ban it too


Comment #25 by: Charles on 07 Jul 2011, 19:38 UTC reply to this comment

this is our spyware and malwares job not googles at least guve us the option to bypass it omg this is an intrusion on our rights


Comment #26 by: Charles on 07 Jul 2011, 19:39 UTC reply to this comment

Guess we should all stop using google till they fix this ..

oh well there loss .. so much for there market share


Comment #27 by: ketul patel on 19 Apr 2012, 12:08 UTC reply to this comment

how to remove this" Warning - visiting this web site may harm your computer! " from my website

Copyright © 2001-2012 Softpedia. Contact/Tip us at

WindowsGamesDriversMacLinuxScriptsMobileHandheldNews

SUBMIT PROGRAM   |   ADVERTISE   |   GET HELP   |   SEND US FEEDBACK   |   RSS FEEDS   |   UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE   |   ROMANIAN FORUM