There are a number of internet services that actively monitor the web for reports of unsolicited email traffic or SPAM. Once a website has been found distributing spam, the service will publicly list them as blacklisted in a measure to combat SPAM. Services like Yahoo and Google use blacklisting services to help protect users from encountering SPAM or malware-filled websites.

Why Does a Website Get Blacklisted?

Not all blacklisted websites intentionally harbor malicious content. Many of them are normal sites that have been taken over by hackers to output spam or viruses, but the blacklisting service cannot tell the difference and will still blacklist the domain. Usually these websites have lax security making it an easy target for hackers to gain access through a weak password or SSL injection. Once inside the website, the hacker can exploit it by using the site to generate spam links which will eventually cause the domain to become blacklisted.

Blacklisted Domains: Avoid Them At All Costs

If your website has become blacklisted, internet visitors will immediately be presented with a malicious content warning upon entering your domain. Although a blacklisting status can be removed, you may still lose potential customers during the period that you have been black listed. To avoid this, you should regularly update and maintain your anti-virus and other security software.

Maintaining the security features on your network servers or PC is also an important part of avoiding blacklisting. Open Mail Relays are one of the major blacklisting causes because it allows spammers to mask their identity by making it appear that you are the author of the message. And finally, you should never spam marketing information on your website. Spamming is a violation of internet protocol and will be punished by either termination of service or blacklisting. It is also against the law in many countries.