There are many social-networking sites, but none can boast the popularity of Facebook, which now has a staggering 1.15 billion users.

This booming success has come at a cost, with malicious program developers now targeting Facebook because of the huge number of users. The malware range from tainted applications to links that encourage users to click and share.

Pav Pichsokkim, a 23-year-old laboratory technician at Calmette Hospital, encountered a link through Facebook after clicking on a notification that said, ‘now you really can see who viewed your profile’, sent from a friend’s account.

“The link required me to click a button that allowed access to my personal information,” says Sokkim, adding, “Without knowing anything, my Facebook account was used to post links with viruses on my friends’ Facebook walls.”

Sokkim’s friends alerted her to the fact that unusual content was being posted on their walls from her account. “These virus links are really disturbing for me and for my friends,” she told LIFT.

She worries that it may happen again and could lead to her account getting blocked or personal information being stolen. With that in mind she wants to know how to prevent these types of attacks on Facebook.

Samreth Sodh