Facebook virus and phishing warning

Last week I got a Facebook message from a good friend of mine. It had some video to click on that was supposed to be funny.

Since it was my old pal from college, I didn't think twice. Beee baaaaa, beee baaaaaa (that is the sound of warning alarm bells going off that I should have heard), you see, the weasels fooled me! Me of all people, who makes a living warning people of scams!

It wasn't my old friend who sent me that. It came from some malicious computer crooks, who somehow hacked into his account and sent out messages with not so pleasant viruses attached. Luckily, the video wouldn't open on my home computer and an hour later I got an email from him saying watch out !

Facebook later sent him the email below. I would love to know what the phishing website designed to "look like Facebook" really looks like:

Hi, We have detected suspicious activity on your Facebook account and have reset your password as a security precaution. It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your computer or that your password was stolen by a phishing website designed to look like Facebook. Please carefully follow the steps provided:

1. Run Anti-Virus Software: If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure. For Microsoft. For Apple.

2. Reset Password: From the Account Settings page, you will need to create a new password. Be sure that you use a complex string of numbers, letters, and punctuation marks that is at least six characters in length. It should also be different from other passwords you use elsewhere on the internet.

3. Secure Email: Make sure that any email addresses associated with your account are secure, since anyone who can read your email can probably also access your Facebook account. If you believe someone has accessed one of your email accounts, you should change its password.

4. Never Click Suspicious Links: It is possible that your friends could unknowingly send spam, viruses, or malware through Facebook if their accounts are infected. Do not click this material and do not run any .exe files on your computer without knowing what they are. Also, be sure to use the most current version of your browser as they contain important security warnings and protection features.

5. Log in at Facebook.com: Make sure that when you access the site, you always log in from a legitimate Facebook page with the facebook.com domain. If something looks or feels suspicious, go directly to www.facebook.com to log in.

6. Learn More: Please visit the following page for further information about Facebook security and information on reporting material.

Thanks, The Facebook Team

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Was that an earthquake? Google it and find out

Google may be showing some of its Silicon Valley influence with a new feature that makes it easier to answer a classic California question: “Did you feel that? Was it an earthquake?”

Now you can just type in the words “earthquakes San Francisco” (for example) if you want to see a list of recent earthquakes near (you guessed it) San Francisco. You can also do a general search for “earthquakes” if you just want to know which parts of the world are shaking. The feature also lets you click to see the earthquake epicenter on Google Maps.

On one level, this is a bit underwhelming, since Google isn’t providing any new information or even aggregating a particularly rich set of data — all of the earthquake information comes from the US Geological Survey’s Earthquake Center website. But this makes the information searchable so users don’t have to navigate the USGS’ lists and maps. It also lets you use Google’s tools to find out more — for example, you can Google the local time when the earthquake occurred. Perhaps most importantly, it’s yet another question you can answer without ever leaving Google.

My only real complaint is the fact that the earthquake listings just kind of sit there. Sure, you can map them, but how about a link to the full earthquake profile on the USGS site? Or to relevant stories in Google News?

In his blog post, Google Software Engineer Mike Danylchuk writes, “Traditionally, we’ve had to wait for answers as reporters scrambled to investigate and spread the news.” As someone who’s covered some small earthquakes for the local paper, I like this tool, but it only helps with what was already the easiest part of the job — namely, contacting the USGS (or visiting its website) and confirming that there was an earthquake. A cub reporter still has to tackle the tough task of tracking down some locals and asking, “Did you feel it? Did you feel it?”

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