This is going to be a comprehensive post, so please bear with me for a while. :) I will also update each section as time permits. Please also feel free to comment or suggest things that I can add upon! :)
This post serves as a tribute to a same post I did around 8 years ago. Chrome might warn you of malware due to hosted scripts, and I havenât updated that blog for the longest time. :P
I will divide this post into different sections, and I will try my best to update this according to changing times. Iâll be also introducing an Obvious Rating (OR) for each tip so that you would know on how to be aware:
3 â Depends (Your Mileage May Vary)
Nevertheless, nothing beats personal care on handling stuff online. :) Watch out for those strikethroughs, they will become links soon!
Some general terms before I proceed:
Malware â is any software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems (thanks Wikipedia!). Laymenâs Terms? These would include: viruses, worms, trojans.
Browser â Shorthand for web browser, which would include: Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera
Mobile Apps â applications that run on mobile platforms, which would include iOS (on Apple devices), Android (which include your S5s/Nexuses/HTC Ones), Windows Phones (Lumia), or even Blackberry. Mobile apps would be the Facebook app, Twitter app, Candy Crush app, Timehop, Foursquare, etcâŚ
Sums up what you basically need to know. Source: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-safe-online-and-think-before-you-click/
With over 1.24 billion active users as of January 2014 and still counting and lots of content shared, Facebook is a place where malware can easily be spread. Some are blatantly obvious, but some can be cleverly disguised as a legitimate post. Even the origin of the post is usually unaware that he/she has just spread spam-filled posts, with some technically-literate people falling prey to this if they are not careful.
Here is a short list of things you need to be wary of:
Links to pornography â Iâm leaving the discussion of the moral and spiritual implications of porn for another time. Just next to ads, porn is the #2 leading source of malware. You can read about it here if youâre interested. OR: 3
Wall posts/messages from someone who rarely contacts you, or from an acquaintance â There are times that it may be legitimate (Facebook is after all a social tool, and these people might really be interested in knowing you) but check if it is in their nature to talk with you. Be especially wary of links they share. OR: 4 to 5
âFakeâ news headlines - This can be accomplished in two ways (please do inform me if there are more ways to do so):
Editing the text preview of a legitimate article to mislead readers. Letâs use this article as reference (as of this writing, keep safe Philippine folks!)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
#gallery-0-7-slideshow .slideshow-slide img { max-height: 410px; /* Emulate max-height in IE 6 */ _height: expression(this.scrollHeight >= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto'); }
Editing the source, and getting a screenshot to be attached just to deceive. This exploits the âInspect Elementâ feature found in Chrome and Firefox.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
#gallery-0-8-slideshow .slideshow-slide img { max-height: 410px; /* Emulate max-height in IE 6 */ _height: expression(this.scrollHeight >= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto'); }
As you can see, it can be pretty hard to distinguish fake headlines, and the screenshots look very authentic! Effectivity is increased if the fake headlines make some sense. Ignoring the âthink before you clickâ safety net, these fakes go with an OR: 1 or 2.
Dubious games or apps in Facebook - Facebook does check from time to time games and apps that use your identity to play games and access your other account logins e.g. Groupon, Swarm, or Endomondo. There would be some cases that you would get an invite to play a game from a friend, which when you click, appears to be dubious. Itâs best to read first on the web (Google is your friend) to check whether a third-party app is legitimate or not. OR: 3
Fake Facebook news â these are posts that foretell of Facebookâs closure. Facebook, just because they have special access to their own system, has their own distinct way of saying important stuff to us (such as changes in layout, privacy policy changes, changes in posting behaviour, etc). So please do your diligent research (Google!) before you spread such âalarmistâ news. OR: 4
 Numbers 1 and 3 can cause you to get malware. Visit these Facebook resources to help yourself, or an affected friend:
If your account was compromised, go here
Too long, didnât read that? Then try changing your password, and checking your Activity Log for dubious activity, and delete tracks of what the spam generator has done.
12/05/2014 01:30 AM â First posting, all about Facebook
How to stay safe from fakes (and malware)Â online This is going to be a comprehensive post, so please bear with me for a while. :) I will also update each section as time permits.
