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It seems that Facebook has now extended a hand of friendship toward China. Mark Zuckerberg has announced that he is going on a vacation to China with his girlfriend. His itinerary includes meetings with some of China's biggest high-tech executives, signaling his intention to extend the reach of his social network to the world's largest population of internet users. Industry analysts say Facebook will face tough competition from state-supported companies, as it is entering a market where 68% has been captured by sites like Ren-Ren. The competition is fierce, presenting challenges similar to those faced by companies like Google. While Facebook may not be making a formal friend request to China, Zuckerberg has been studying Mandarin daily with one-hour language lessons.

Hackers are planning to increase data security attacks via applications on social networking websites this Christmas, according to an expert. Earlier this month, IT security firm Sophos traced the history of malware and viruses created over the Christmas period from 1987 until 2009. The blog post revealed that, although some were relatively harmless festive pranks, more cyberattacks over the holidays could have serious repercussions for computer users. Rik Ferguson, senior security analyst at Trend Micro, stated that hackers conduct such attacks annually. "Criminals absolutely do, every year without fail, conduct campaigns designed to take advantage of people's willingness to search for and click on links relating to Christmas activity, whether that's through phishing campaigns or sending social engineering emails masquerading as Christmas cards," he said. Mr. Ferguson added that apps on social networking sites had "come of age as an attack platform" and

Since its emergence, Generative AI has revolutionized enterprise productivity. GenAI tools enable faster and more effective software development, financial analysis, business planning, and customer engagement. However, this business agility comes with significant risks, particularly the potential for sensitive data leakage. As organizations attempt to balance productivity gains with security concerns, many have been forced to choose between unrestricted GenAI usage to banning it altogether. A new e-guide by LayerX titled 5 Actionable Measures to Prevent Data Leakage Through Generative AI Tools is designed to help organizations navigate the challenges of GenAI usage in the workplace. The guide offers practical steps for security managers to protect sensitive corporate data while still reaping the productivity benefits of GenAI tools like ChatGPT. This approach is intended to allow companies to strike the right balance between innovation and security. Why Worry About ChatGPT? The e

A new computer worm is denying Facebook users access to their accounts. The worm, named "W32.Yimfoca" by the security company Symantec, spreads through Yahoo! Messenger and specifically targets Facebook users. It forces them to complete surveys before they can log into their profiles. The worm begins by sending an instant message containing a corrupted link. When a user clicks the link, the worm installs malware on their system. Later, when users visit Facebook, they see a message stating, "Your account is suspended. To make your account active, you need to complete one of these surveys," followed by a list of options like "Test Your Celebrity IQ here" and "Win a FREE iPhone 4." If users choose to fill out a survey, another message appears: "You have only 3 minutes to fill out the selected survey or you will not have access to your account." Each time a survey is completed, the creators of the worm earn $1, according to Symantec. The

Network security is on everyone's mind as 2010 comes to an end. Adam Powers, CTO of Atlanta-based Lancope, offers insights into expected trends for 2011. IT Consumerization and Internal Threats The introduction of consumer devices into corporate networks is reshaping security strategies. Traditional perimeter defenses like firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are no longer sufficient. Companies must address security for smartphones, MiFi devices, and other consumer mobile devices. Rise of Social Media The growth of social media platforms like Facebook has created new attack surfaces for cyber threats. This development demands heightened awareness and security measures. Utilities as Targets The Stuxnet virus has alerted utilities, particularly those under NERC-CIP compliance, to the need for improved security as SCADA systems transition to IP. This shift demands a significant upgrade in security measures. Information Leakage and Reputation Damage The Wiki

In what has become a yearly tradition, it's now time for us to present 10 of the most noteworthy incidents on the Internet from this past year. As you'll see, 2010 has been very interesting. Just like previous years, we have included problems ranging from website outages and service issues to large-scale network interruptions. If you're an avid Web user, you are bound to recognize several of them. Let's get started! The major incidents on the Internet in 2010 were… Wikipedia's Failover Fail Wikipedia has become so ubiquitous that it can't go down for a minute without people noticing. According to Google Trends for Websites , the site has roughly 50 million visitors per day. In March, servers in Wikimedia's European data center overheated and shut down. The service was supposed to fail over to a US data center. Unfortunately, the failover mechanism didn't work properly and broke the DNS lookups for all of Wikipedia . This effectively rendered the site unreachable worldwide. It took

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for hacking into a girl's social networking profile, altering her photos, and posting inappropriate messages. The police apprehended Pramod Nana Bavdekar from his home in Andheri, seizing his computer and hard disk as evidence. The incident began on November 8, when the victim noticed her account was being used by someone else after she tried to log in. Consulting an expert, she learned her profile had been hacked. Shortly after, she was horrified to find her nude photos and a message stating, "I am a prostitute," on her profile. Additionally, her bank account number and other personal details were posted. The victim later received four letters via courier containing similar messages and photos, prompting her to file a complaint with the cyber division of the BKC police station. In her complaint, she mentioned her suspicion of Bavdekar, a former neighbor who had proposed to her two years earlier. According to the police, altho

Gathering evidence on Facebook has become a standard legal practice, so a social sting operation was inevitable. This method led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apprehend a would-be terrorist in Baltimore. An FBI informant initially contacted 21-year-old Antonio Martinez after he publicly posted about his desire for jihad on Facebook earlier this fall, according to AFP. The U.S. Justice Department released a prepared statement that AFP cited: "An affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges that on September 29, 2010, Martinez publicly posted on his Facebook account a statement calling for violence to stop the oppression of Muslims, and that on October 1, 2010, he publicly posted a message stating that he hates any person who opposes Allah and his prophet." The FBI set Martinez up with a fake car bomb, then apprehended him when he attempted to detonate it remotely. The faux explosive was rigged in a vehicle parked outside a U.S. military recrui

When you see a post on a Facebook friend's wall that seems out of character, don't be too quick to click. Posts labeled "Pictures of girls in bikinis" or "All boys can stare at it but girls cannot" might be clickjacking attacks. These attacks typically don't carry malicious payloads, but they can certainly annoy any friends who fall for them. Here's how to avoid that scenario. Usually, the post itself uses a short, provocative phrase to spark your curiosity. If you fall for the attack currently making the rounds, you'll see a warning that the content might be inappropriate and a request to confirm that you're 18 or older. Once you click the button to confirm your age, you'll encounter another embedded dialog box. This one claims a need to verify that you're human, supposedly to avoid spam bots that are "putting an extra load on our servers." The box requests that you click numbered buttons in a specific order. Clicking th

Facebook is set to launch an integrated email service on Monday, aiming to compete with Gmail and Yahoo Mail. This move will position Facebook as the largest email service provider in the world, serving its 500 million users. TechCrunch, a prominent Silicon Valley technology blog, reported that Facebook plans to announce a web-based email service featuring @facebook.com addresses at an event in San Francisco. This initiative, part of a secret project known as 'Project Titan,' is internally referred to as its 'Gmail killer.' Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft are already enhancing their email services to emphasize social connections. However, Facebook holds a significant advantage due to its extensive data on user relationships, making it easier to integrate email with its existing social services like photo-sharing. Facebook's new email service will seamlessly integrate with the social network, utilizing its network of friends model. The goal is to create a communication ecosystem tha

Computer security firms and military personnel have issued warnings about certain Facebook features that could compromise both personal and national security. On Thursday, Sophos, a computer security developer, warned that Facebook's new online messaging service could increase users' vulnerability to identity theft. John Leyden of The Register reported that the service, which combines site updates, instant messaging chat, and SMS messages in one place, is an attractive target for cybercriminals. According to Leyden, spammers can easily target accounts, or they can be compromised to create Web 2.0 botnets. "Users need to realize that these new features increase the attack surface on the Facebook platform, making personal accounts more attractive to cybercriminals," said Graham Cluley, Sophos' senior technology consultant, to AFP. "Facebook accounts will now be linked with more people in users' social circles, creating new opportunities for identity fraud

Facebook has confirmed that the recent issue with posts was on their end. A representative told SecurityWeek via email, "We began removing the posts immediately upon discovering them and shortly after they were made. They were caused by a temporary bug on Facebook that allowed certain posts requested by an application to be rendered when they shouldn't have. Upon discovering the bug, we immediately began work to fix it. It's now been resolved, and these posts can no longer be made. We're not aware of any cases in which the bug was used maliciously." A representative from Sendible stated that they had discussed the issue with Facebook over the phone. Facebook acknowledged the problem but could not reproduce it on their end. "They've agreed to patch the issue by the end of the day. In the meantime, we've agreed to remove the feature on Sendible that allows fans of Facebook pages to automate posts." Several Facebook Pages, including those of large

We've received several rapid-fire tips indicating a major compromise in the Facebook app Sendible. Several prominent Facebook Pages, including Google, Coca-Cola, YouTube, South Park, The Daily Show, and Team Coco, are sending out a malicious link to their followers. The link reads, "Change Your Facebook Background Here!" It's crucial not to click on this link. Those who clicked on the link reported being redirected to a page outside Facebook that asked for personal information. The bottom of this page reads, "Powered By AWeber Email Marketing." Oddly, many other Facebook users are "liking" these links. We've contacted Facebook about the issue and will update once we receive their response. The compromised accounts suggest that this malicious link is appearing in tens of millions of feeds right now. Most of the malicious links have been removed, but tips indicate the attack is ongoing, with new links continuing to appear. We still have not heard bac

Facebook's privacy issues are like a centipede with countless shoes dropping. There seems to be no end to them. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reporters revealed that Facebook apps have been inadvertently sharing user identities with advertisers. Companies like Rapleaf use Facebook data to create detailed personal profiles, including names, locations, politics, and religious beliefs. This morning, we found out that not only were Facebook apps inadvertently sharing user identities (UIDs), but some were also doing it deliberately, for money. App makers were selling user information to data brokers. This is like Charlie Sheen sharing his secrets with Perez Hilton—it won't stay private for long. Facebook's blogger Mike Vernal disclosed the news. Vernal's blogging style is rather dry and dense, which might be why he got the job. It took him six paragraphs to explain the situation: "As we examined the circumstances of inadvertent UID transfers, we discovered some instance

Facebook privacy has been a recurring topic in the news. With the massive number of users on the site, the amount of personal data involved is enormous. Recently, it has been revealed that many popular third-party apps, mainly games like Farmville and Texas HoldEm Poker, are leaking the unique Facebook ID that can track individual users. According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, several Facebook apps have been providing advertisers with information that makes social networking users easily identifiable. All ten of Facebook's most popular apps, including Farmville and Texas HoldEm Poker, are leaking the unique Facebook ID number to outside firms. Each Facebook ID is unique and linked to every profile. By searching for this number, anyone can access the user's profile and view the information they have chosen to share with the public. This can include their name, date of birth, and even photos. Farmville, with 59 million users, also passes this information about a u