Being among large groups of people in such places as airports, shopping malls, and hospitals often exposes us to a risk of contracting some type of virus, especially during high risk times such as during winter. In the cyber world, it isn’t much different. The evil-doers that create viruses love to attack heavily populated sites that will propagate the virus quickly. They think like terrorists, they are computer terrorists if you will! If you think there are no virus risks on Facebook you are sadly mistaken. The risk is actually elevated enough that some schools have forbidden access to Facebook on school computers.
Facebook is particularly targeted (aside from the above reasons) because people’s guards are down. Afterall, Facebook is a network of friends, right? Friends wouldn’t give each others viruses would they? Well, would you drink from your friend’s class if he or she had a nasty cold sore on his or her lip? Probably not, but what if it was not yet visible!
Don’t panic, there isn’t an epidemic on Facebook but there have been some cases. The highest risk is usually associated with links to websites outside of Facebook. Therefore, to protect your computer, avoid clicking on such links even on your friends pages. They may not be aware that such a link is on their page. By sticking to to Facebook’s basic functions you are minimizing your risks. As with everything else, you should exercise caution and moderation. Having a good antivirus is also important for maximum protection. Awareness of the danger is the first step in protecting yourself and your fellow Facebookers!
