A word of warning to Facebook users

All Facebook users are familiar by now with the applications that encourage them to take part in games or quizzes. However, these applications can harm users, according to security specialists from Avira.

The harmful applications are cleverly disguised advertising banners that perfectly mimic the appearance and function of the familiar and ever-changing Facebook applications (widgets). If a web surfer clicks one of these, rather than being taken to a trustworthy Facebook application, he will find himself diverted to another server on the Internet without even noticing. The fake widgets are so cleverly programmed and designed that the user’s suspicions are not aroused as he uses them. At the end of the activity, the fraudulent web application will ask for additional information, such as a mobile phone number, to deliver the result of the game. However, the text message sent will prove expensive, because it is the confirmation that the user has agreed to a subscription with the fraudsters. The details are usually only found in the small print, which is easy to overlook: the damage can reach considerable amounts of money, which are debited with the next phone bill.

The risk of giving away too much personal information exists with every application on offer within the social web. Anyone using Facebook applications should only install those from a trusted source and should think carefully about the data they reveal on the platform. It takes just a few easy setting changes to secure your privacy. The right checkmarks can be set in Facebook under Settings/ Privacy Settings. The safest approach is to set all the fields in your Profile to “Only Friends”. Remember that here too, not every person behind a friendship invitation is a real friend.

It is also possible to change the settings for advertisements. The Facebook Ads tab can be found under Settings/ Privacy Settings/ News Feed and Wall. Here, you should select “No One” in the box. It is also possible to set the access rights for the applications: Individual rights can be assigned for all applications under Settings/ Application Settings / Edit Settings. Here it is also advisable to at least set the settings for your private domain to “Only Friends” and to take a close look at the settings for additional approvals.