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Hackers Attacked Facebook by New ‘Vidyartha College’ Virus

Facebook, the most visited social networking website, is facing the attack of a virus called "Vidyartha College Facebook Virus."

Internet security researchers state that the virus is capable of harming visitors' computers since it is the most recent virus wreaking havoc online. Vidyartha College is a highly prestigious educational institution on the small island nation of Sri Lanka.

The early indications of the Vidyartha College virus were detected on September 29, 2009 and the very next day (September 30) the issue became even more severe. Some researchers state that the virus was likely on Facebook much before September 29 although it has recently come to light.

Moreover, these kinds of incidences have occurred earlier too. This time, however, it seems that the name used is spreading among friends but it can't be seen as appearing on each and every account. Nevertheless, the virus has affected several thousand users and the names of their institutions have been altered to Vidyartha College.

Facebook officials have said that the spotted "Vidyartha College Facebook Virus" is in the true sense a bug, and the whole Facebook team is diligently trying to eliminate it.

Although it is still not clear how much damage the virus has caused, security specialists say that it is necessary to maintain caution against the things to be clicked and the software to be permitted. Otherwise, it could damage a user's PC, steal his data, or do even more harm.

Conversely, cyber miscreants seeking to disseminate trojans and viruses on other users' computers are finding social networking websites easy targets for the purpose. They even utilize these platforms for spurious attacks against people who visit them by compromising their accounts so that those accounts could be used for sending spam to various contacts.

Facebook in general is confronting a serious issue of viruses for a short time now, which is hampering its development. Reportedly, the Vidyartha College virus is the No.2 leading virus, which has plagued Facebook. Previously in early September 2009, the Facebook Fan Check virus was detected.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 10/20/2009

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