Security notice for facebook users

Just a quick notice to tell everyone about the annual threat on Facebook. This year it's a particularly nasty bot attached to Zynga games, so anyone using Petville, YoVille, Farmville etc. beware. It's embedded in certain adverts linked to Zynga and will use your profile information to add you as a member of several dating sites and use your photos for fake sweepstake competitions - also storing and installing a partially invisible spybot to your temp folder which swiftly makes it way to the system32 directory. It switches off windows defender and the scurity center, altering registry entries in the process, making it quite an annoyance to remove and difficult to notice at first - took me 3 hours to track and remove then the remainder of the day to reverse the damage done to my registry and systems folders. Windows 7 is no better against it than XP or Vista, so don't think that just because you have the latest updated version of MS' newest OS that you're safe...

There are measures you can take. Firefox users can download a browser add-on called add blocker plus which, once installed, bans all community reported ads and pop-ups - with a community base of 6 million you're as good as insured to have a decent level of insight with this add-on. Also for firefox is WOT, an add-on that uses a simple tri-colour traffic light warning system to let you know your security level online regarding links and sites - again, community based input and masses upon masses of user reports.

Chrome users should have an adware/spyware removal program as standard as Google relies on ads to keep not only the search engine but also directories and the browser in state. WOT and ABP (ad blocker plus) are also available for Chrome

Opera users are pretty safe due to how the browser translates HTML and other internet languages into its visual composition and it has a built in filter for irregular code. WOT and ABP (ad blocker plus) are also available for Opera

Internet explorer users need to get a new browser. Although the sandbox system is unique and far ahead of its competitors, heavy reliance on suspended and stored pages means that spywares can compromise the sandbox and leak out - it just takes them longer.

To get hold of these browser add-ons, just type into google the name of the add-on and your browser -- e.g. 'firefox 4 wot'

Regardless of what antivirus or browser, and even OS you have -- get yourself a tidy adwrae/spyware removal application for extra measure. Personally I use SpyBot S&D - it's free, reliable and has been doing its job for a long time. After you install it and run for the first time (run as admin for Vista and 7) it will back up your registry in case of unwanted changes and in case whilst removing it damages anything. It can immunize your system against known threats (community input/reports), prevention v. cure, and do a full sweep, fix and remove unwanted apps and bots.

Message out.

or.... don't play any games at Facebook, right?

thanks for the warning, Kie. Hopefully you will save some of us from a lot of grief.

Yes Kie thank you much for the head's up. I did come in here earlier and said 'Whew! Thank goodness I don't play games at Facebook.' LOL, but I should also have added my thanks for you sharing this with us.

A little late datewise seeing this, but thanks, Kie. I've noticed a "new player" titled Zynga once in awhile in games, but never click on those. Good to know about some of the other stuff going on with them.

Kie if we run the program you linked to -- spybot -- will that find whatever might be in here that is causing a problem?

it will find it if it is on ur pc and will trace its origin so you know where it came from - but cant remove it from online locations. However, if you're immunized it wont come back on your pc once removed -- EVER!

I've read the entire link I think on Spybot. I may give it a try this weekend, on one computer anyway.