Social networking security

With so many of us using social networking like facebook and Myspace on a daily basis, cybercrime has quickly adapted to deceive social networkers. This is why installing social network security software has become necessary for all users of social networking sites.

Cybercrime and social networking

Just as technology moves quickly, so too does online crime, or cybercrime. Normally, cybercrime involves malicious software, or malware, in the form of a malware virus, worm virus or Trojan virus, which is able to access personal details or damage computer files.

A more recent type of malware is called crimeware. It involves malicious software created by cyber criminals with the purpose of making money by illegal methods. These methods can come in the form of a phishing scam as well as a ‘traditional’ malware virus, worm virus or trojan virus.

Phishing cybercrime works by tricking computer users into disclosing personal details such as usernames, passwords, PIN numbers, credit card numbers and so on, which are linked to bank accounts or online shopping accounts. These details are then used to steal money.

Social networking sites like facebook and bebo rely on connections and communications, hence they encourage you to provide a certain amount of personal information. But online, people may not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting someone in person and sometimes they reveal information to the wrong people.

On social networking sites like MySpace and Bebo, fraudsters may trick people into being your friend and then divulging personal information. They may access your list of friends or contacts and send them an e-mail purporting to be from you.

The aim is that your facebook or Bebo friends, seeing an e-mail from you, will open the e-mail. But the e-mail actually contains a virus that is then unleashed onto their computer. It then contacts their contacts, and so the virus continues to spread.

The easiest way to avoid malicious code from getting onto your system is to install reliable internet security software.