EXCLUSIVE: Computer virus strikes firms
HUNDREDS of businessmen and women across the Westcountry have been hit by a computer virus spread via a popular social networking website.
The computer users are all "friends" with each other on the Facebook website, which is increasingly used as a marketing and networking tool by businesses.
The Trojan virus spreads itself through address books and locks people out of their computer systems. It then steals information kept on computers, including details of e-mail accounts, passwords, names and addresses.
Toby Parkins, managing director of Cornish web development firm UKNetWeb, advises businesses on the best use of social media platforms such as Facebook. He said people using the site needed to "exercise caution" and delete any messages they were unsure about.
"Messages of this kind have been appearing on Facebook since its conception in 2004. However, this one appears to be particularly virulent.
"The title of the dodgy message varies with messages such as 'Maan, yyou're great!' (sic) and 'your ass looks not bad in this video' forming part of the message body or Facebook wall posting.
"With many businesses now using the network as a marketing tool, this kind of infection can be extremely damaging to their interests with the messages appearing in their contacts' inboxes or walls without their knowledge. You should ensure that your computer has the latest anti-virus and anti-phishing software installed and run on a daily basis."
Once clicked, the virus link forwards users to a site which hunts for a file on their PC known as a cookie and prompts them to update their video or Adobe Flash software.
But once accepted, the Trojan virus proceeds to lock the user out of their Facebook account and sends messages to people on their friend list with a similar message, further spreading the virus. The virus is part of what computer experts call a "blended attack", where a series of different techniques are used together to gather personal data.
Fiona Crump, a company director in Cornwall, is a victim of the virus in her personal Facebook account. It was sent to her by a trusted source and she believes it is also behind further problems she is now having with her home computer.
"It is a major irritation. I consider myself to be pretty computer-savvy and I know what to avoid. I don't open things I am sent that look dodgy. But it looked very plausible," she said.
Facebook has now taken steps to deactivate malicious links in messages through the network.
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