"Koobface" worm or "Facebook Worm"

Having just finished battling some nasty viruses on my home computer,
I looked at the news today and realized something: There is no rest
for the weary. The "Koobface" worm or infamous "Facebook Worm" that
was first discovered last July has made a comeback, attacking users on
social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace. Needless to
say, the worm has been improved. "Koobface" Worm Attacks Facebook,
MySpace and Other Social Networking Sites

This new and improved version of Koobface is seen as an invitation
from a friend of the account owner. It invites you to click on a link
and view a video on a counterfeit YouTube site. Everything may look
alright to the average user. The video even has fake comments and
video responses.


However, when you try to watch the video, a pop-up
states that you need to install Adobe Flash plug-in to view it. When
users attempt to download the fake plug-in, they really download a
Trojan horse program that gives the Koobface creator(s) control over
the computer. The worm then takes over your social networking account,
sending the same message to your own friends. According to The
Washington Post, other networks currently seeing evidence of the
Koobface worm are hi5.com, friendster.com, myyearbook.com, bebo.com
and livejournal.com. Engineers at Trendmicro.com have seen the worm at
tagged.com, netlog.com and fubar.com.

The new worm is clever and knows how to pull in the tiny details
necessary to fool someone into thinking it is the real deal. The
YouTube video, besides having comments and responses, even lists the
author as the friend who sent you the message. The worm even pulls the
friend's picture from the social networking site. The original
Koobface worm had two variants and was first discovered last July by
secure content developer, Kaspersky Lab. These worms,
Win32.Koobface.a. and Win32.Koobface.b, attacked MySpace and Facebook
respectively and operated in the same way as this newer strain.

How do you keep the worms out of your computer? Don't invite them in
in the first place. Basic Internet awareness and keeping your
computer's antivirus updated and running every day is enough to keep
you safe. Facebook's Security page offers several helpful hints in
response to the Koobface infections and for everyday use: Never Click
Suspicious Links: They could be unknowingly sent from your friends if
they are infected with viruses or malware. Never run any ".exe" files
without first investigating what they are. Do your research. Keep your
browser updated.
"Koobface" Worm Attacks Facebook, MySpace and Other Social Networking Sites.

Have a Unique, Strong Password: Use different passwords for all your
accounts and ensure that they will be hard to guess by using a variety
of numbers, letters and punctuation marks. Run Anti-Virus Software:
Make sure you have some sort of software and run a scan every day.
This will keep you on your game and your computer safe.