Protect Your Site from Phishing Attacks by Removing Social Engineering Content

Social engineering content is any type of content that is designed to trick users into performing a specific action, such as revealing confidential information, clicking on a malicious link, or downloading malware. Social engineering attacks are often carried out through phishing emails, but they can also be delivered through other channels, such as websites, social media, and phone calls.

There are a number of reasons why websites can become infected with social engineering content. One common reason is that hackers exploit vulnerabilities in the website’s software or content management system (CMS). Hackers can also use malicious code injection techniques to inject social engineering content into a website’s database or files.

Another reason why websites can become infected with social engineering content is that they are compromised by third-party resources. For example, if a website uses an ad network, the ads that are displayed on the site could be malicious. Similarly, if a website uses a third-party payment processor, the payment processor’s website could be compromised and used to steal users’ payment information.

Social engineering attacks can have a number of negative consequences for websites and their owners. For example, a website that is infected with social engineering content could be flagged by Google and other search engines as a malicious website. This could lead to the website being deindexed from search results, which could have a significant impact on the website’s traffic and revenue.

In addition, social engineering attacks can damage the reputation of a website and its owner. If users are tricked into revealing confidential information or downloading malware from a website, they are less likely to trust the website in the future. This could lead to a loss of customers and revenue.

Therefore, it is important for website owners to take steps to protect their websites from social engineering attacks. This includes regularly patching their website’s software and CMS, using a reputable ad network, and using a secure third-party payment processor.

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Here is a summary of the steps involved and how to clear your website from phishing attacks:

1. Check in with Search Console to verify that you own your site and that there are no new, suspicious owners.
2. Review the Security Issues report to see if your site is listed as containing deceptive content. If so, visit some sample flagged URLs on a computer that is not inside the network that is serving your website.
3. Remove all deceptive content from your site. If you believe Safe Browsing has classified a web page in error, report it to Google.
4. Check the third-party resources included in your site, such as ads, images, and other embedded content, to make sure they are not deceptive.
5. Follow the third-party service guidelines described below for any third-party services, such as payment services, that you use in your site.
6. Request a security review in the Security Issues report.

It is important to note that the review process can take several days to complete. Once your site has been reviewed, Google will send you an email notification to let you know the outcome.

If you have any questions or need assistance with any of these steps, please contact Google Search Console support.