Can I get a virus from Facebook or MySpace?
Yes, it is possible that you can get a virus from Facebook or MySpace because any website, including social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, has the potential to spread malware to visitors. On the other hand, big social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace do a fantastic job in order to protect their users, and it is unlikely that the site will infect you. The following are some of the most prevalent ways that malware and other exploits affect Facebook and MySpace users.
Phishing
Scammers may create prompts asking for your username and password or bogus Facebook or MySpace pages in order to gain access to your login information. The fraudster might obtain access to your account if you entered your secret information and two-factor authentications were not enabled.
In terms of avoiding scams, make sure the address bar in your browser says www.facebook.com or www.myspace.com and not something else when you are asked for a login id and password to access your account. When clicking any link supplied to you by e-mail, proceed with caution.
Worms and trojan horse’s
Your friends can transmit a worm with the help of using social media. For instance, the Koobface worm on Facebook spread through friend invites and promised to show a movie. However, if you agreed to download a video codec, it could have only the potential to infect your machine. You can avoid these infections if you only accept the friend request by people you know and only consent to install something on your computer system when absolutely necessary.
Passwords
Password is a login credential, which is most important to protect your account as well as the system. When you are creating your password, make sure your password is long and complex as required. Password must contain numbers, letters as well as symbols, and never expose or share your password with anyone.
Privacy settings
It is also a very crucial step to protect your account. In your account’s privacy settings, ensure that your privacy settings are set to Friends of Friends or Friends Only.
Official security pages
In order to stay informed about security issues, you can visit the official Facebook security page to see what you should follow to protect your account. Also, you can go to the official MySpace safety page for suggestions and assistance if you are a user of MySpace.
How to spot a Facebook threat?
There are several Facebook scams and infections available on the internet, but you don’t need to be alarmed. Before protecting yourself against Facebook virus, it is more necessary to understand how to spot it first. Here are a few subtle methods thieves use to gain access to your Facebook account.
1. Urgent personal messages: Fraudsters utilize social engineering techniques in order to acquire access to your personal information in this approach.
Let’s consider you get a message from your friend, which is your Facebook friend; he is claiming that he is in difficulty and asking for your assistance. It may indicate that your friend is in the hospital and requires your assistance in paying his medical cost. This condition is easy to spot as you will feel compelled in terms of sending money as quickly as possible. However, in this scenario, the best thing to do is phone your friend to double-check that you are not being duped.
2. Fake Facebook apps: With the help of using Facebook apps, cybercriminals have also figured out how to deceive us. We spot a familiar game icon, click on it, and then see we were locked in a split second.
For instance, attackers can have the potential to make a copy of your favorite game in order to spread the Facebook login virus. You think, you are opening the Candy Crush game, but you find that you must log in. You obviously fill in your email and password, and scammers now can take complete control of your profile as they have access to your credentials when you enter them.
Consider the scenario where you launch a fake Candy Crush and the software asks for permitted rights. Without giving it a second thought, you unwittingly hand out full access to your profile in just a few unpleasant clicks.
3. Facebook video virus: Commonly, Facebook will alert you about the potential risks before diverting you to another webpage, but you should still be wary of this type of fraud.
A Facebook Newsfeed video virus and a Facebook messenger video virus are two forms of video viruses that can be found on the social media platform. They usually include a link to a third-party site and a statement advising you to watch the video. They claim you that, trust us, but you should not.
Hackers have done an excellent job in terms of making the URL that seems to be from YouTube or other well-known websites. You will see a pop-up window when you click on this link, which indicates you to install software (i.e., a virus) in order to watch the video. You may need to clean your computer of any possibly harmful applications if you have already downloaded the unknown file. As an antivirus program is not always effective; therefore, you should not depend only on your antivirus program.
4. General spam posts: If you are using Facebook and reading something on it, you appear to be too good to be true, or a friend’s post appears to be far too unrealistic. In these conditions, you need to pay attention in order to peculiar patterns in their behavior, follow your instincts, and proceed with caution.
What are the chances that a coworker will actually share a link to a gorgeous video of Justin Bieber kissing squirrels at a nightclub with you? However, be cautious about clicking on any dubious websites, curiosity can easily overpower common sense.
You need to ignore all appealing online lotteries and ‘claim your reward’ communications, as they can be dangerous. Make sure it is written on their wall or emailing you before engaging in any suspicious activity on Facebook, especially with individuals you ostensibly know.
How do Facebook or Myspace viruses work?
A virus can infect your computer system if someone on your friend list on your Facebook who is infected sends you a seemingly harmless link to a website and you click on it. The worm will download a copy of itself automatically if you click on one of these links in a Facebook chat message. It only affects one operating system, Windows.