Joined: 18 January 2006
Posts: 24488
Joined: 21 October 2008
Posts: 15869
By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:02 PM on 02nd March 2009
The social networking website Facebook has been hit by five separate security problems in a week, according to an internet safety advisor.
Cybercriminals are exploiting the trust implicit in the popular sharing site to spread nuisance spam and steal saleable data from users, Rik Ferguson from security firm Trend Micro said.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said having an open system was better than checking all the applications
Malicious
applications are an effective way of spreading viruses. Currently,
anyone can set up an application on Facebook that can be downloaded by
members, without being checked.
Instead of giving access to a new game or useful software, the rogue applications fool users into downloading malware.
One application sent out notifications telling users that one of their friends had 'faced some errors' when checking their profile. A link to the supposed error message spread the fake posting instead.
Another
application posted a notification on a user's profile that claimed one
of their friends has reported them to Facebook for violating Terms of
Service.
A link led to an application saying 'facebook - -
closing down!!!' Once installed it sent a spam message to all the
affected user's friends.
More than 1,000 angry users have joined a Facebook group for victims of the latest scam.
'Facebook should now apologise and should check all applications created for Facebook users before activating it on their website,' one furious member wrote in capital letters.
Security experts at Trend Micro have warned the applications can harvest personal information as they spread.
'Surely these two events in just a single week mean that it's about time that Facebook reviews its application hosting policy?' Mr Ferguson asked.
However, last week Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg rejected a call to vet all the applications showing up on the site.
'Our philosophy is that having an open system anyone can participate in is generally better,' he told Radio 1's Newsbeat.
A Facebook spokesman said members should remain vigilant and if they fell victim to one should visit the Facebook security pages for help.
A new variant of the Koobface virus is also affecting users alongside the rogue applications. It uses a spoof version of YouTube, to trick members into downloading malware onto their computers.
Once installed the program hunts for cookies on the victim's computer and uses relevant details to log into other social websites.
'This is not just restricted to Facebook, it's a growing trend,' Mr Ferguson warned.
Joined: 04 December 2005
Posts: 6349
Joined: 18 September 2007
Posts: 8644
...............how much info we can share Rji
Joined: 18 September 2007
Posts: 8644
....u r absolutely right
Joined: 06 November 2008
Posts: 1483
Dear Friends!
Social Networking is a common thing these days.Having virtual friends is not really a big issue these days!!
The issue of browsing social networking sites and having virtual friends is an issue of concern for family members!!! Especially those family members who read the news and see the news about the frauds done through net and who donot browse the genuine social networking sites!!
Unfortunatley those family members see the news of the more types of frauds and more type of crimes done in the form of social networking!!!
In the mean process people who get into genuine sites and have genuine virtual friends face problems in convincing the family members!!
But at the same time the cyber crimes these days are increasing and the cyber crimes are very sophisticated and innocent people get stuck in that crimes un knowingly in those acts!!
MMS and messages are encrypted and the outer message might be some joke or funny stuff ,so if we don't know those things and if we read them or forward them and we may be unwitting party in that crime !!!
Mean while its tough to convince the family members about the genuine virtual friends!!
So my questions are:
Is the internet safe place these days?
If, it depends on the level of security measures you take,can you share your best practices with us?
Do you like your family members seeing your social networking messages and friends ?
Do you like having family members and friends on the same platform(not the operating system) but same site ,say India Forums or Orkut or any other social networking site?
Wishes,
Mythili
PS - Using this post (well written) to raise related issue of facebook, which is in news. See pg 7. Updated the title. Myth PM me if there is concern... thanks!
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