Facebook blocks virus that looked like a video message

Just saw this on the wires...

BY VILLE HEISKANEN
Bloomberg News

Facebook, the operator of the most popular social-networking site, has blocked a virus that infected thousands of users' accounts by presenting itself as a video message.

The messages advertised links to videos on Google or YouTube sites, Max Kelly, head of
security at Facebook, said in a blog post Thursday. Instead, those who clicked on the
phony links downloaded malicious software, he said, without elaborating.

The virus affected less than 0.002 percent of Facebook's users, Kelly said. Based on
its 120 million subscribers, that would amount to about 200,000 people. Facebook disabled access to the links and is working to shore up security, he said.

Users who inadvertently downloaded the virus were presented with an image of a court
jester sticking his tongue out and rolling his eyes, U.K.-based security-software maker
Sophos said in a statement on its website.

Brandee Barker, a spokeswoman for Palo Alto, Calif.- based Facebook, didn't immediately
return a telephone call seeking comment.

Comments

[Alberto]

I receive an other message from an other friend to see a video where I am
I think can be a Virus

I didn't open it

[Bridget Carey]

Alberto -- Glad you didn't click on any strange link. It's so annoying lately how many malicious links I've been seeing pop up on people's comment pages -- obviously sent unknowingly. When I haven't spoken with someone in years and then they post on my wall to check out this really funny thing, I know something is up. And a quick visit to their profile proves it -- because all their friends got the same wall post.