Searching these six words could get your computer hacked | Tech News [Video]

Cat lovers, be warned – your passion could lead to your computer being hacked.

You may think searching ‘Are Bengal Cats legal in Australia?’ is a fairly innocuous – even informative – query.

But hackers are exploiting this niche interest to access computers, steal data, and hold it for ransom, cybersecurity experts warned.

They do this by hiding among the array of results presented by search engines like Google.

On first glance, they seem normal – a link like any other. But behind them is malware that will be downloaded onto your computer the moment you click them.

SOPHOS engineers said: ‘Victims are often enticed into clicking on malicious adware or links disguised as legitimate marketing, or in this case a legitimate Google search.’

One particularly powerful malware used in such schemes is Gootloader, once the signature weapon of Russian REvil, a ransomware gang.

This stealthily installs tools able to steal bank details and lock users out of …