Facebook Insecurity: The Worm Returns

Facebook and other social network users need to be on the alert for the return of the Koobface worm, which sniffs out cookies associated with social nets, then uses that info to spread itself to other network members.Call it anti-social networking.

The Koobface (rearrange the letters to see just how clever the malware writers are )worm, last seen tagging Facebook users late last year has returned, and is cutting a new path through compromised computers whose users are on Facebook and other social networks.

According to Trend Micro, the worm looks for browser cookies associated with social networks including:

* facebook.com * hi5.com * friendster.com * myyearbook.com * myspace.com * bebo.com * tagged.com * netlog.com * fubar.com * livejournal.com

and having found one and grabbed the user's login, sends messages, containing malware site links, to the user's friends list.

As social networks become more and more accepted as business tools (and, for that matter, as more and more employees use company equipment for personal social networking) it's important that your employees bear in mind that the very qualities that attract users to social nets are attracting crooks as well.

Sound security procedures must be matched by well-defined social networking usage policies, not least of which is a bit of commonsense that should be shared with every user:

Just because a communication looks like it comes from a friend within the network doesn't mean it does, especially if it contains an "irresistible" link to some video or information.

In other words, tell your social networking employees to Think Before They Click.

Once you have your security house in order and your social networking rules the rules in place -- and followed! -- and are ready to put social networks safely to work for your business, don't miss bMighty's:

SEVEN SOCIAL NETWORKING STRATEGIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS

and bMighty editor Benjamin Tomkins's

10+ BUSINESS USES FOR TWITTER