I recently saw this article on my Google news page. After reading the article, I realized just how important this information is to us and everyone who uses Facebook. Instead of having just a few instances of malware, it seems that Facebook is 20% malware (internet data that can harm your computer). Almost everyone has seen one or two links that are easily noticed as being fake and probably containing viruses. Yet, the sheer amount of these links ends up being one fifth of all the news feeds on Facebook. It is not only surprising, but horrifying to think that out of every five things i see on my news feed, one could possibly disable my computer. Facebook users become simple "third parties" in the spread of this malware as their computers become "like zombies". However, it is the massive number of users of Facebook that encourages the spread of viruses through it. Simply, Facebook is just the proper place at the proper time to place malware so users don't just have to know this, they have to be diligent when on Facebook. Furthermore, these fake links reminded me of just how dangerous it is to have such a fake world or setting. Many people trust websites to protect them from these dangers, but in actuality it is this very aura that makes these sites the prime targets for these viruses. Most people on Facebook would eagerly click on a funny news feed or a simple game suggestion without realizing they may have doomed their computer. So be weary all those on Facebook, 1/5 of the site is out to get you!
Link: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/1124/Facebook-remains-thick-with-malware-report
Yes marc, very true. Just yesterday I clicked on an image of a roller coaster going straight through the image, and so I clicked on it to see a larger image, and it asked me to take a survey and give my personal information. These advertisers are coming together with the only goal of money. Doesn't facebook make enough with the ads on the side of the page? Also, this shows advertisers power of manipualtion in that they show these compelling photos, and KNOW for a fact that average kids such as me will click on them.
ReplyDeleteI find this interesting, but question the accuracy. Although I don't doubt you, I find it hard to believe that some of the world's most brilliant computer programers permit viruses to spread that easily. However, should this information be true, it shows the kind of society we live in that for a dollar amount, a massive company (facebook) will risk harming the computers of its users, in turn erasing pictures, music, and work. This being said I think it remains clear to us that there are risks out there to Facebook (like there is with everything else), however we are not all at risk, 80% of the ads on facebook after all are not viruses.
ReplyDeleteThere can be a positive side to these ads too, Marc. Just the other day on facebook I got a message from a Nigerian king who wanted to give me all his money, and all I had to do was forward him my bank account number. I gave him the number and I should have my money in a few days...On a more serious note though, I do find this number shocking, and it makes me wonder about viruses in general. While a great deal of viruses are made with the intent of extracting money and information, there are a great deal which are greated purely to cause harm and annoyance, and my question is quite simple, why? What is it that draws people to be purely and randomly malicious, and what role, if any,does their anonymity play in this?
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