Hazardous Facebook application scares online users

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» IT Security NEWS

» 17 March 2010

A new application, which was found out to be a fake, is currently creeping around Facebook after the application notifications were removed in the said social networking service. This threat is clothed as a user-friendly application that allows the Facebook users to identify the people who recently viewed their profile page.

Threatening masked applications on the loose

Based on the statements made during a one-on-one interview with Rik Ferguson, a security adviser from Trend Micro, various kinds of applications in the social networking sites lure the users by using the scheme wherein the identities of the people accessing one’s Facebook profile will be revealed.

But then, regardless of how beautiful the offers sound, these applications are still considered invaluable for the users of this popular social network service and that these are judged as nothing but sham.

Vicious scheme that spreads like a virus

The fake Facebook application works by creating a mosaic of profile pictures of the friends who mostly visit a user’s profile page. And then, it will tag the whole photo mosaic according to the owners of each of the particular profile picture found therein. With this method, the information about the said application will be disseminated among the many users of the service.

Trend Micro’s security adviser also stated that the application was created in such a way that it will easily attract the users of this service. In addition, the “continue” buttons in these apps does not really provide the utility of an under-the-counter profile checking.

The fake application will then lead users to new application, which provides the online thugs a new way of spreading their vicious schemes through advertisements.

New nasty methods against the updated defenses

As of the latest, Facebook updated their application notifications for the benefit of the users. And with every upgrade made, the scammers create an unbelievable innovation in their common techniques. In order to compensate for the removal of direct mailing of application notifications, the online criminals also made a couple of revisions on their approaches.

Ferguson asks this famous social networking website to renew their rules with regards to application publishing. He believes that Facebook should be aware of the fact that these incidents are already happening repeatedly. And with this, the problematic situation must be resolved by an application vetting process instead of having the incident response team handle the issues.

Ferguson suggests that the safest way to face the scams is to avoid accessing the links appearing on the feeds. Lastly, people must also be aware that there is still no certain Facebook application that will determine the users viewing one’s profile page.

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