Helping banish malicious adverts – and drive a secure advertising ecosystem
13 November 2024
Malicious adverts are a pervasive problem that can have a significant impact on businesses and consumers alike. They can spread malware, steal personal data, and damage brand reputations. The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working with industry partners to tackle this problem and drive a more secure advertising ecosystem.
One of the NCSC’s key initiatives in this area is the Malicious Adverts Working Group (MAWG). The MAWG brings together representatives from across the advertising industry, including publishers, advertisers, ad networks, and security vendors. The group works to identify and mitigate the threats posed by malicious adverts, and to develop best practices for protecting consumers.
The MAWG has already made significant progress in its work. In 2023, the group published a set of voluntary guidelines for the advertising industry on how to prevent and mitigate the spread of malicious adverts. The guidelines have been widely adopted by the industry, and have helped to reduce the number of malicious adverts in circulation.
The NCSC is also working with industry partners to develop new technologies to detect and block malicious adverts. In 2024, the NCSC launched a new research project with the University of Oxford to develop a new AI-powered system for detecting malicious adverts. The system will use machine learning to identify patterns in ad traffic that are indicative of malicious activity.
The NCSC is committed to working with industry partners to tackle the problem of malicious adverts and drive a more secure advertising ecosystem. The MAWG and the new research project with the University of Oxford are just two examples of the NCSC’s ongoing work in this area.
What can you do to protect yourself from malicious adverts?
There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from malicious adverts:
- Use an ad blocker. Ad blockers can block malicious adverts from being displayed on your computer or mobile device. There are a number of different ad blockers available, so you can choose one that fits your needs.
- Be careful about what you click on. Don’t click on ads that look suspicious or that you don’t recognize. If you’re not sure whether an ad is legitimate, hover over it with your mouse to see where it will take you.
- Keep your software up to date. Software updates often include security patches that can protect you from malicious adverts. Make sure to install software updates as soon as they become available.
- Report malicious adverts. If you see a malicious advert, report it to the NCSC using the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). You can also report malicious adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
What can businesses do to prevent malicious adverts from appearing on their websites?
Businesses can take a number of steps to prevent malicious adverts from appearing on their websites:
- Work with reputable advertising networks. Only work with advertising networks that have a good reputation and that have strong security measures in place.
- Use ad filtering technology. Ad filtering technology can help to block malicious adverts from being displayed on your website. There are a number of different ad filtering technologies available, so you can choose one that fits your needs.
- Monitor your website for malicious activity. Regularly monitor your website for signs of malicious activity, such as unexpected changes to your website’s content or traffic patterns.
- Report malicious adverts. If you see a malicious advert on your website, report it to the advertising network that served the ad. You can also report malicious adverts to the NCSC using the SERS.
By taking these steps, businesses can help to protect their customers from malicious adverts and drive a more secure advertising ecosystem.
Helping banish malicious adverts – and drive a secure advertising ecosystem
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UK National Cyber Security Centre a new article on 2024-11-13 12:00 titled “Helping banish malicious adverts – and drive a secure advertising ecosystem”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
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