Poisoned Sponsored Links in Google

In my presentations on using Google, I've always cautioned people about the sponsored links that appear at the top of the search results list. I've heard from people who thought they downloaded the free Firefox browser from one of these links and were then asked to pay for the program. Now there's another reason to steer clear of them and to not use Internet Explorer. PC World is reporting that Booby-Traps Hide in Google Sponsored Links. Researchers have found "poisoned Google sponsored links that surreptitiously direct searchers through malicious sites that attempt to install malware on your PC." The article says it's impossible to know if you're clicking on a poisoned link. The easiest solution is to use another browser, such as Firefox or Opera.