Facebook to scrub itself clean of filthy malware links
Facebook has recruited Websense to scan its vast social network for links to malicious sites.
Scammers are increasing using Facebook as a means to drive traffic towards malware and exploit portals or internet scam sites. In response, Facebook is tapping Websense for technology that will soon analyse the jump off points to links. Cloudy technology will assign a security classification to sites, presenting users with a warning if the location is considered dangerous.
This warning page will explain why a site might be considered malicious. Users can still proceed, at their own risk, to potentially dodgy sites. The approach is similar to Google Safe Browsing warning technology, which is integrated into Firefox and Chrome.
Previously, individual users had the option to add additional security filtering apps, such as Bitdefender Safego, to their profiles as a means to scan for spam and malicious links. Facebook is now offering this type of technology by default as an extension of its previous relationship with Websense.
More details on how Websense’s technology works can be found in a blog post by the security firm here. ®
Article source: http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/04/facebook_websense_scam_scanning/