AfterDawn: Tech news

20 percent of Facebook 'news feed' posts are malware

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 25 Nov 2010 1:30 User comments (15)

20 percent of Facebook 'news feed' posts are malware Security company BitDefender has said today that 20 percent of posts that Facebook users see on their "news feed" are actually malware.
60 percent of those attacks come from third-party apps.

22 percent of the malware apps say they will help you see who has been viewing your profile, 15 percent offer "extras" for games you might have like FarmVille, 11 percent offer a "dislike" button (it doesn't exist) and another 7 percent offer links to games.

BitDefender collected its data through the SafeGo Facebook app, which scans user's accounts for malware. SafeGo was launched last month and has 14,000 users.

So far, the software has scanned 17 million posts.

Websense's security tool Defensio says that 1 in every 10 updates that have a link lead to malware.

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15 user comments

125.11.2010 01:39

So basically 1 in every 10 facebook users is stupid.

225.11.2010 05:39

I think the number of bugs and errors on facebook have crosses the tolerable limit. No content on facebook is safe at all. It seems like everything you do on facebook can be tracked and used and sold. Nothing on facebook is private. I have gotten sick of these issues and am quitting facebook. Hopefully MyCube or Diaspora restore privacy to Social Media

325.11.2010 12:47

Originally posted by hikaricor:
So basically 1 in every 10 facebook users is stupid.
its not 1 in 10 its every 9 out of 10 facebook users lol.
remember facebook is those people who really have no life..

common, hold on i just took a HUGE DUMP! BE RIGHTBACK I got to post my update of this on my wall... most people buy a brand new pc STRICTLY for facebook lol.

425.11.2010 13:49

Adding yet ANOTHER reason to the list of why I do not have a Facebook account.

525.11.2010 20:57

Originally posted by ROMaster2:
Adding yet ANOTHER reason to the list of why I do not have a Facebook account.
I second that.

626.11.2010 04:49
arjun khanna
Unverified new user

I find it ridiculous that people even continue to use Facebook after this. Facebook has too many privacy concerns. Really excited about the Diaspora and MyCube upcoming launches and will switch to them. Hopefully they can live up to their promise of being privacy aware and wont flood our social networks with malware.

726.11.2010 09:06

Like it or not, facebook is buggy and unsafe, but it's here to stay anyway.

I do have a facebook account, which comes pretty handy to keep in touch, being told about events in my area, and many other things I find useful, but I'm aware of where I am in, and I don't upload any info or pictures which I wouldn't let anyone see. I also block every "app" feeds and invitations for using them.

The best antivirus is the common sense... Which, still, is far from being "common".

826.11.2010 11:45

Originally posted by dali:
Like it or not, facebook is buggy and unsafe, but it's here to stay anyway.

I do have a facebook account, which comes pretty handy to keep in touch, being told about events in my area, and many other things I find useful, but I'm aware of where I am in, and I don't upload any info or pictures which I wouldn't let anyone see. I also block every "app" feeds and invitations for using them.

The best antivirus is the common sense... Which, still, is far from being "common".
This.

926.11.2010 23:37

Originally posted by dali:
Like it or not, facebook is buggy and unsafe, but it's here to stay anyway.

I do have a facebook account, which comes pretty handy to keep in touch, being told about events in my area, and many other things I find useful, but I'm aware of where I am in, and I don't upload any info or pictures which I wouldn't let anyone see. I also block every "app" feeds and invitations for using them.

The best antivirus is the common sense... Which, still, is far from being "common".
My sentiments as well

1027.11.2010 05:37

to anyone using facebook out there.there is no dislike button,you cant see who viewed your facebook page (there was a note about it on official facebook security page).most sites that has in it bit.ly are usually porn or malware sites.any site that says like this(to view video/images) and add all your friends is probably spyware.

1127.11.2010 13:40

I opened a FB account years ago, only because a close female friend (with benefits..;)..) moved and wanted to stay in touch. I think I used it twice in the 5 years or so, I haven't looked at in at least 4 years. Not interested, don't need it, waste of time...and so on.
Also agree with the other sentiments posted above, it's a hornets nest of malware and a breeding ground because of user stoopidity.

@1nsan3 - LOVE your sig! I'm an old timer skydiver, started in 71 and have almost 2000 jumps in. "Used once, never opened, small stain"..LOL!

1228.11.2010 17:00

Originally posted by hikaricor:
So basically 1 in every 10 facebook users is stupid.
That is exactly what I've been saying :P

1328.11.2010 18:19

Someone will create a better site than facebook. Remember you cant do much with facebook, except POST your retarded life updates ( boring who cares ) and play farmville WOOHOO. you cant really do anything else with your page. if they made it more like a website where u can make it LOOK the way you want and have your OWN stuff on your page. Myspace was better with that but still VERY limited.
and yes facebook has HUGE security flaws. reminds ya of skynet, i mean microsoft.

1429.11.2010 04:48

A social network is useless without users. I might be wrong, but I'm not seeing the over 500 million facebook users massively migrating to a newly created world-wide platform in the near future.

1529.11.2010 15:09

This suprise anyone? lol

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