Apparently, Ford's name is being used to distribute malicious software over the Internet. Ford's name is used to determine search engines to falsely promote certain web pages that contain a malicious "codec" which is actually a virus. As soon as this virus enters your computer, it will prompt you to buy a fake antivirus. If you don't buy the thing, it will prevent your computer from operating properly. And if you buy it, it won't help you in any way.
Ford said it is working with Google to solve this problem. Let's hope it will be solved quickly.
Ford Press Release:
Ford Motor Company was made aware of a black hat Search Engine Optimization (SEO) attack using the Ford Motor Company name as bait to distribute malware on the Internet. Ford is collaborating with Google and other search engine companies to mitigate the impact.
These attacks work by misleading search engines to falsely promote malicious pages to the top of
the search results. Once the user visits one of the malicious sites, they are prompted to download and install a malicious "codec", which then installs software that mimics anti-virus software.
These fake antivirus programs are designed to make users believe that their computers have been infected by malware. Users are then offered the chance - through pop-ups and banner ads - to buy the fake antivirus to clean their computers. If the victim does not purchase the bogus antivirus, the malicious code will prevent the computer from operating properly in an attempt to coax users into buying the product.
For more information, please see a video and a link to a blog post at: http://vimeo.com/4143942
