The Hidden Dangers of Facebook

If you logged on to your Facebook page in the last few weeks to find that spammers had hacked into your account, you weren’t alone.

An elaborate worm virus spread through Facebook last month, the latest in a recent increase of attacks on the popular networking site. With over 100 million active users worldwide, it comes as no surprise that the site has become the target of hackers and spammers.

The latest attack sent messages asking Facebook members to log in to phishing (or dummy) sites disguised to look like a Youtube page. Once users plugged in their personal information, a standard browser message asked them to upgrade their Flash Player (ADBE). Doing so downloaded malware (malicious software) to the user’s computer.

Malware attacks are more serious than simply exposing your Facebook profile information. Keystroke programs can also track personal passwords, giving access to your online banking and credit card accounts too.

Luckily, Facebook’s security team got last month’s attack under control relatively quickly. Max Kelly, the site’s head of security (and a former FBI computer forensics specialist) notes that less than .002% of Facebookers were affected, and all of those were notified and given suggestions on how to remove the malware.

But the question remains: How safe is your account and what can you do to prevent it from getting hacked?

While there is no full-proof way to avoid attacks short of not using your computer, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your Facebook (and other) accounts from spammers.

Never Share Your Password

Seems like obvious advice, but a surprising number of people don’t follow it. No Facebook employee will, per policy, ever ask you for your personal information. So, any message asking for your password should be viewed with suspicion. All of this also holds especially true for your online bank and credit card information.

Only Log Onto Legitimate Web Addresses

Phishers use dummy sites that may look exactly like a Facebook or Citibank (C) page. Check the URL carefully for things like .cn (China) at the end or anything in the Web address that seems off. If you’re even mildly suspicious, go to the site’s homepage, i.e. Facebook.com, and log into your account from there.

Be Wary and Suspicious

Sounds like harsh advice, but you should navigate your online communities like you do off-line. You wouldn’t get on a dark, empty subway train with suspicious characters in a corner would you? Use the same awareness online. Messages on your Facebook page from people you don’t know, or that are ambiguous, should be dealt with prudently.

Consider Switching From Windows

Another solution is to dump Windows (MSFT) in favor of Linux of Mac (AAPL) operating systems, which are considerably safer because they’re targeted much less frequently by hackers.

See a Mechanic

If your Windows PC or Mac does get infected with malware or a virus, go to the Apple or Microsoft security pages to get it fixed up.