Facebook steps up battle against malware
By Paul Smithson
04/10/2011
Facebook has taken steps to try to protect its users against the threat of malware coming from shortened links appearing on the website.
The social network has brought in a specialist security firm called Websense, which will test links in real time to make sure they do not take users to harmful pages, reported The Guardian.
For the 800 million people who use Facebook, many malware links are obviously not what they pretend to be, but it is the more plausible pages that can end up causing problems for users and the IT professionals who work on remote systems management.
"Facebook cares deeply about protecting users from potentially malicious content on the internet. We are excited about our partnership with Websense to provide industry leading tools to help our users protect themselves," said Dan Rubenstein, product manager for site integrity at the social network.
In a statement reported by PC World, Websense chief technology officer Dan Hubbard highlighted the work his company does to prevent consumers and businesses from being affected by malware.
He explained that the creators of malicious software design their bugs so that they can get past conventional anti-virus products, which is why additional measures need to be carried out.
Part of the problem is that cyber criminals can switch URLs very quickly.
