Apparently Google has finally gotten sick of spyware authors taking advantage of them and have devised a system for preventing automated searches. Unfortunately, they’re just blocking entire IP blocks from using their service. This means that large corporate networks who’s outbound net goes through a small number of IPs gets entirely blocked from Google access.
“We’re Sorry… … but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can’t process your request right now.
We’ll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.
If you’re continually receiving this error, you may be able to resolve the problem by deleting your Google cookie and revisiting Google. For browser-specific instructions, please consult your browser’s online support center.
If your entire network is affected, more information is available in the Google Web Search Help Center.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we’ll see you again on Google.
To continue searching, please type the characters you see below:”
Of course, considering the date this could just be a well crafted joke.