The Top Search Result Isn’t Always the Safe One
When someone on your team searches for a software download or types “Microsoft 365 login” into Google, the first thing they see is usually a sponsored ad. It sits right at the top, it looks legitimate, and most people click it without hesitation. That’s exactly what scammers are counting on.
This type of attack is called malvertising — short for malicious advertising. Criminals buy search ads targeting the names of trusted brands, popular software, and common login pages. The ad looks genuine: real company name, a web address that appears correct, the right logo. But clicking it takes you to a fake page designed to steal your credentials or trick you into downloading malware.
How the Scam Actually Works
The mechanics are straightforward, which is part of why it’s so effective.
A scammer purchases a Google ad for a search term people trust — your bank’s name, a Microsoft sign-in page, or a widely used tool like a PDF reader or media player. When a user clicks the ad, they land on a convincing replica of the real site. From there, two things typically happen:
- Credential theft — the fake page prompts a login, and the username and password go straight to the attacker.
- Malware delivery — the page offers a software download that installs an info-stealer instead of the real program.
What makes these ads particularly dangerous is that scammers have learned to show a clean, harmless page to ad reviewers — and the malicious version to everyone else. The ad passes Google’s checks and still does damage.
The scale of the problem is significant. Google’s 2025 Ads Safety Report confirmed it blocked or removed more than 8.3 billion policy-breaking ads and suspended nearly 25 million advertiser accounts in a single year. Despite that, scam ads impersonating common software and even Google’s own products continue to appear in everyday searches. Criminals are now using AI to generate fake ads faster than ever.
Why This Matters for Brisbane Businesses
For most businesses, the risk surfaces in two routine situations: downloading software and logging into accounts.
Once info-stealing malware lands on a machine, it can harvest saved passwords, browser cookies, and session tokens. That’s enough for an attacker to access accounts — sometimes even when multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled. This is the kind of initial access that leads to the larger incidents covered under Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, and it’s exactly the threat the ACSC’s Essential Eight is designed to reduce.
What You Can Do Right Now
The good news is that the fix is mostly behavioural, and it costs nothing.
Scroll past the sponsored results
Ads are labelled “Sponsored” and sit above the organic results. The real website is almost always just below. Make it a habit to skip straight to the non-ad results.
Type the address directly or use bookmarks
For sites your team logs into regularly — Microsoft 365, your bank, your practice management system — save the correct URL as a bookmark. Don’t search for it each time.
Never download software from a sponsored ad
Go to the software maker’s official website directly. If you’re unsure of the address, search for it and use the organic (non-ad) result, then download from the official page only.
Keep devices and browsers updated
Automatic updates through Microsoft Intune or your endpoint management tooling mean that even if something slips through, your defences are as current as possible.
Consider browser-level ad filtering
A reputable browser extension that filters ads removes many sponsored results from the page before anyone can click them. It’s not a complete fix, but it reduces exposure.
Brief your team
Most people genuinely don’t know the top result can be a trap. A five-minute conversation changes the behaviour. If you want a plain-language explainer to share with staff, we can help put one together.
What to Do If Someone Already Clicked
- Visited the page but entered nothing — close it and move on.
- Typed in a password — change it immediately and ensure MFA is active on that account.
- Downloaded and ran a file — disconnect the device from the network and contact your IT provider to check for info-stealing malware before reconnecting.
Malvertising is a low-effort, high-return attack that targets the habits your team already has. A few small changes in behaviour — combined with the right endpoint and identity controls in Microsoft Defender and Entra ID — make a real difference.
If you’d like help reviewing how software gets installed across your business, or want to run a quick security awareness session for your team, get in touch with us at IT TechNinjas. We’ll help you sort it without the jargon.