Everyday English – Cybercrime spreads on Facebook

• Source: Global Times
• [13:41 July 01 2009]
• Comments

Cybercrime is rapidly spreading on Facebook as fraudsters prey on users who think the world’s top social networking site is a safe haven on the Internet.

Lisa Severens, a clinical trials manager from Worcester, Massachusetts, learned the hard way. A virus took control of her laptop and started sending pornographic photos to colleagues.

“I was mortified about having to deal with it at work,” said Severens, whose employer had to replace her computer because the malicious software could not be removed.

Cybercrime, which costs US companies and individuals billions of dollars a year, is spreading fast on Facebook because such scams target and exploit those naive to the dark side of social networking, security experts say.

While News Corp’s MySpace was the most popular hangout for cyber criminals two years ago, experts say hackers are now entrenched on Facebook, whose membership has soared from 120 million in December to more than 200 million today.

Scammers break into accounts posing as friends of users, sending spam that directs them to websites that steal personal information and spread viruses. Hackers tend to take control of infected PCs for identity theft, spamming and other mischief.

Facebook manages security from its central headquarters in Palo Alto, California, screening out much of the spam and malicious user-targeted software to make Facebook a safer place to surf than the broader Internet, but criminals are relentless and some break through Facebook’s considerable filter.

The rise in attacks reflects Facebook’s massive growth. Company spokesman Simon Axten said that as the number of users has increased, the percentage of successful attacks has stayed about the same, remaining at less than 1 percent of members for five years.

But ultimately Facebook says its members are responsible for their own security.

“We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it,” Facebook says in a warning in a section of the site on the terms and conditions of use, which members might not bother to read.

“People implicitly trust social networking sites because they don’t understand the real threats and dangers. It’s like walking down the street and trusting everybody you meet,” said Randy Abrams, a researcher with security software maker ESET.

Reuters

Notes:

Haven – (noun) A port or harbor, but in this case it means a safe place.

If a woman is abused by her husband, the government should have a safe haven for her to live in for protection.

Mortified – (verb) To cause someone to feel shame, humiliation.

I was mortified after a coworker told me I hadn’t zipped up my pants properly.

Malicious – (adjective) Spiteful, intentionally mischievous or harmful.

The boy was malicious, constantly teasing the girl about her hair and outfit that she cried non-stop.

Entrenched – (verb) To surround or fortify with trenches. In this story it means to establish securely, but not legally.

The cockroaches were entrenched inside small cracks in the kitchen that it was difficult to catch them without the help of insecticide sprays.