With a growing audience of users, cybercriminals have increasingly turned to Facebook to proliferate their malicious viruses. Now, according to new research from the web security firm BitDefender, one-in-five Facebook users could be exposed to malware through their news feeds.
BitDefender reached this conclusion though its Safego app, which protects users from accidentally clicking malicious links. As WebProNews notes, this number may be conservative, as it doesn't count private messages. Additionally, those who downloaded the Safego app may also be more safety conscious than typical users.
"Twenty percent of Facebook users are exposed to malicious posts in their 'news feeds' of friends' activity, generally defined as posts that, when clicked on, result in 'the user's account being hijacked and in malware being automatically posted on the walls of the respective user's friends," comments BitDefender's Caroline McCarthy.
Over the summer, Facebook recorded its 500 millionth member. With that many potential victims, hackers are increasingly using the social network to launch attacks. Most recently, cybercriminals would send messages to users through hacked accounts that encourage recipients to click links to watch a funny video.
