There has been an "alarming" rise in spammers and hackers taking advantage of online social network users over the last year, according to a report by computer security company Sophos.
Incidents of malware and spam attacks on Facebook and Twitter users rose by 70 per cent in 2009 according to Sophros' "Social Security" report.
“Computer users are spending more time on social networks, sharing sensitive and valuable personal information, and hackers have sniffed out where the money is to be made,” said Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley.
The report also found that 57 per cent of users reported being spammed via social networking sites, while 36 per cent said they were sent malware via these sites.
Facebook was singled out as being particularly big on the spam as most users who have been asked again and again if they need to meet singles in their area can attest to.
“Facebook is by far the largest social network, and you’ll find more bad apples in the biggest orchard,” Cluley said.
“The truth is that the security team at Facebook works hard to counter threats on their site, it’s just that policing 350 million users can’t be an easy job for anyone.”
Last month, Facebook announced an alliance with online security specialist McAfee with Facebook members being offered free six-month subscriptions to McAfee security software.
Facebook accounts that have been breached by cyber attacks or malicious software will also need to be checked by McAfee before being reinstated to the online community.
As more people are using social networking sites while at work, the risk of infecting office computers are growing.
Sophos found that 72 per cent of organisations were worried that workers using social networking sites is putting their business at risk. Despite this concern, almost half of organisations surveyed still allow their staff unrestricted access to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
“Targeted attacks against companies are in the news at the moment, and the more information a criminal can get about your organisation’s structure, the easier for them to send a poisoned attachment to precisely the person whose computer they want to break into,” said Mr Cluley.
“Sites like LinkedIn provide hackers with what is effectively a corporate directory, listing your staff’s names and positions. This makes it child’s play to reverse-engineer the email addresses of potential victims.”
Have you been affected by spam or malware while writing on someone’s Wall? Leave us a comment and let us know.