Twenty percent of Facebook users are sharing malicious content through the social network, especially when they install and post applications on the wall that put their privacy and security at risk, as well as that of their contacts on the service.
The most popular are the applications that promise to unlock access to features that are usually not offered by the website, such as the possibility of knowing who visited the user’s profile (21.5%).
Applications that offer free items for games on the social network are responsible for 15.4 percent of registered malicious content and also referred to as the «main route of entry for intruders», according to a study by a security company revealed today.
Changing the background of the profile or extensions that add buttons like «I don’t like» are other references, mentioned in 11.2 percent of cases, in a list that follows applications that present themselves as new versions of successful games (7 , 1%), mobile phone offers (5.4%) or the possibility to watch movies online for free (1.3%).
The data was collected by BitDefender through a new security application for social networks, through which it analyzed 20 million articles shared by Facebook users, such as links, images or videos.
In addition to attacks via applications, the company also detected that 16 percent of the malware disseminated through Facebook uses the promise of access to some shocking video as bait.
It was also found that five percent of users are affected by Koobface.
Launched in early November, and still in beta, BitDefender Safego was applied in 20 countries, having been «very well received by users», according to the company.
The application can be installed free of charge and promises features such as account security analysis and shared connections and identification of personal information that is visible to strangers, for example.
