Criminals target Facebook users

22 January 2009 03:51pm

Spammers are increasingly targeting social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, computer experts warned.

Growing numbers of cyber-criminals try to trick users into revealing passwords so they can hijack their personal profiles and send out messages promoting everything from pornography to medication.

New figures from IT security firm Sophos also reveal that the UK is now the world's 10th worst offender for relaying spam.

In January 2004 Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates predicted spam would be "a thing of the past" within two years.

But five years on it remains a serious problem - and is increasingly likely to be designed to infect users' computers to steal sensitive information such as banking details.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said around 27 out of every 28 e-mails sent are now spam.

"More people are getting connected, and they're not geeks any more. Now it's your mother-in-law who's online and who's on Facebook - and maybe giving away too much information," he said.

Cyber-criminals have realised that Facebook users can be more easily fooled into clicking on a link if it appears to come from one of their friends.

Mr Cluley said Britain "could do better" on spam, and advised people to make sure their anti-virus software, firewall and Windows security patches were up-to-date.

He added: "The rumours of spam's death have been greatly exaggerated over the years. The threat remains alive and kicking despite increased legal action against spammers, the occasional takedown of internet companies which assist the cyber-criminals, and constantly improving anti-spam software."

© The Press Association