The battle against malware is ongoing and fought across a variety of platforms, and given how Facebook can be found on just about any digital device with a display and an Internet connection, it’s no surprise that the world’s foremost social network invests much time, hours and money into combating the numerous evils of the Web. In an effort to lessen the likelihood of its users being scammed or otherwise falling foul to malicious intrusion, Facebook has added a new pop-up notification that will show up on a user’s computer in the event that malware is detected.
As opposed to merely informing a user, the notification also offers a remedial software solution, which may either be F-Secure Online Scanner or Trend Micro HouseCall, depending on the type of infection. Those who do see one of these two pop-ups are not obligated to download either piece of software, of course, and if you happen to have your own security suite, then you can also use that to rid your machine of any ill-intended apps or malware.
But then again, if your own solution was working as it should, then Facebook wouldn’t have detected malware in the first place, and so as such, opting to download the recommended piece of software is probably the best way to go about protecting yourself from phishing scams, key loggers, and other such non-niceties.
Should you decide to install either piece of software, you won’t be interrupted, and will be able to continue whatever you were previously doing while the app installs in the background.
This isn’t Facebook’s first concerted attempt to protect its vast user base against malicious software, but it’s certainly a bold signal of intent from the Menlo Park-based company, and in the future, we can expect other anti-malware solutions to be offered alongside the current two.
If you choose to ignore the notifications but don’t opt to do anything about the malware yourself, then they will pop back up once more in the future, so please ensure you have an adequate protective shield in place to avoid the potentially dire repercussions that can occur when a virus infiltrates your system.
Do you think this is a great step by Facebook? And should others adopt the same? Share your thoughts with us.
(Source: Facebook)
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