Google alerting searchers to hacked websites

Google on Friday announced search engine upgrades that included alerting people to hacked websites that make it into query results.

"We've added new notifications to the results page to warn you when sites may have been compromised, spammed or defaced," Google director of product management Mike Cassidy said in a blog post.

"In addition to helping users, these notices will also help webmasters more quickly discover when someone is abusing their sites."

Google added automated tools designed to detect signs of hacking and then pin warnings reading "This site may be compromised" beneath potentially tainted entries in search results, according to Cassidy.

"Rest assured, once the problem has been fixed, the warning label will be automatically removed from our search results," said Google associate product manager Gideon Wald.

The Mountain View, California-based Internet giant also added new languages and domains to its "Instant" search feature that delivers suggested results with each key stroke of a query.

Google's translation service was given upgrades that include providing alternatives as to what the intended meaning of phrases might be.

(c) 2010 AFP