Avoid Facebook Malware

This article teaches you how to prevent malware--short for "malicious software", which includes viruses and spam--from propagating on your Facebook page. In order to keep both your profile and your friends' profiles safe, you'll first need to understand how to recognize malware when you see it.

Steps

  1. Use common sense when deciding whether or not a claim is legitimate. The adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true" is most applicable on the internet. If you have the slightest about a link or an app telling you that you've won a free iPad or there are embarrassing photos of you being uploaded, don't click on it.[1]
    • Often times, malware will use your Facebook friends to send you links to external websites. Be sure to ask your friend(s) in question if they actually sent the link before opening it.
  2. Review the Facebook Malware Guidelines. Doing so will provide you with a decent overview of what you can expect Facebook to do (and what they won't do) as far as inquiries about your personal information go.
  3. Look for sensationalist language or intensifiers. If you see a link or application posted by a friend with a sensationalist phrase attached (e.g., "you won't believe this works until you try it"), their account may be posting spam because of malware. Similarly, intensifiers such as "wow" or "OMG" are often used in spam posts due to their eye-catching potential.[2]
    • The context of the language here is important, of course. If the friend in question commonly posts in this manner, you have far less to suspect than if your friend is usually straightforward or well-spoken on Facebook.
    • This concept also applies to messaging within Facebook. If a friend messages you something that seems dissonant with your history or the way they speak, don't open the link.
    • If you see a friend posting the same link verbatim to several different friends' walls, it's probably spam.
  4. Practice general internet safety. While malware tends to be disguised, using these simple preventative measures will help you avoid it for the most part:
    • Logging out of Facebook on shared or public computers
    • Changing your password often
    • Accepting friends requests only from people you know
    • Keeping your login information private
  5. Refrain from giving apps your password or credit card information. As per Facebook's terms of use, Facebook employees will never ask for your payment or account information through an app or a message. You should only enter these credentials within the fields to which they pertain (e.g., enter your Facebook password in the "Password" field when logging in).
  6. Double-check links before you click on them. You can typically trust .gov or .org sites, but watch out for links that start with bit.ly.
    • Malware usually disguises malicious links as shorter-than-usual links.
  7. Be careful when allowing apps to access your Facebook profile. When you add a new app to your page, you'll probably receive a pop-up window asking you to click Allow in order to provide the app with personal details such as your location, first and last name, and date of birth. Unless the app in question is a verified one (e.g., Google, Pandora, Instagram), don't click Allow or you put your account at risk for contracting malware.
    • Sometimes malware will manifest as a notification that, when clicked, prompts you to allow Facebook access to your personal information. If you click on a notification and are subsequently prompted to click Allow, it's probably malware.[3]
  8. Take action as soon as possible if you do fall for a spam link or page. There are a few ways you can handle the situation if you find out you've been spammed or are now spamming others:
    • Remove spam wall posts by either clicking the "X" to the right of the post, or marking it as spam via the same drop-down menu.
    • Review potential malware apps by clicking Settings from the drop-down menu in the top right corner of your page, then clicking Apps. You can delete malware apps and games from here.
    • Change your Facebook password.
    • Consider enabling secure browsing via Facebook Security settings.

Tips

  • If a Facebook friend's profile becomes infected with malware, consider changing your password.
  • Your Facebook password should be unique to Facebook. For example, try not to use the same password as your email address or bank account.

Warnings

  • In extreme cases, malware can shut you out of your account. If this happens to you, Contact-Facebook immediately.
  • While practicing caution and the methods entailed above will protect you from the bulk of malware and spam, you're never guaranteed safety from malware on the internet.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-avoid-remove-facebook-malware/
  2. ↑ http://www.enigmasoftware.com/how-to-avoid-facebook-malware-spam/
  3. ↑ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/prevent-remove-facebook-malware-or-virus/
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