Facebook Beefs Up Anti-Virus Protection

Last April, Facebook started its Anti-Virus Marketplace, a site where users can download six-month trial licenses to full versions of anti-virus software programs, including ones from Microsoft, McAfee, TrendMicro, Sophos or Symantec. Now Facebook is adding programs from Avast!, AVG, Avira, Kaspersky, Panda, Total Defense and Webroot.

Facebook and these affiliate companies have also announced their intentions to step up the site’s URL blacklist program. This system scans clicks and builds a database of suspicious URLs that users are clicking to through Facebook. Under the system, once users click to the site they are protected both by Facebook and their affiliate anti-virus companies. The system also warns users before they click through to a site that seems spammy or malicious. The site is also strengthening its protection of mobile devices, a big initiative in the company’s future.

It’s good to see Facebook stepping up its efforts to protect its users. Now that Facebook has crossed the awe-inspiring 1 billion active user threshold, privacy protection should be its number one priority. Of course, many scams are still perpetrated on Facebook every day, so it’s up to the user to educate themselves about what to look out for. It’s good news that Facebook is increasingly protecting its users, but users have to protect themselves first.


Recommended Resources


BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams on Facebook.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.

Facebook Page Admins Spread Messages in Attempt to Bypass EdgeRank and Sponsored Posts Previous post Facebook Page Admins Spread Messages in Attempt to Bypass EdgeRank and Sponsored Posts Facebook Officially Turns Off Facial Recognition Software in Europe Next post Facebook Officially Turns Off Facial Recognition Software in Europe