14 DAY TRIAL // ESET’s security software has been integrated in Facebook’s platform to protect users of the social network service from malicious links posted in news feeds and messages.
Because of the large number of users (about 1.35 billion, according to the company), abuse of the platform through different types of scams has been a problem for a long time for the company.
ESET is not the only malware scanner for Facebook
In 2014, Facebook started to integrate scanning solutions from different IT security vendors, to offer its users the possibility to scan devices used for Facebook activity for malware without having to log out of the social network.
ESET security software is now part of a suite of scanners that also includes technology from F-Secure and Trend Micro, which were added in May. By integrating a variety of such solutions, each with its own scanning engines and signature repository, into its platform, Facebook increases the chances of catching malware affecting its users.
“With the potential to remain undetected on devices for months, malicious code can collect personal information and even spread to other computers in some cases. Compounding the challenges for defense, most people lack basic anti-malware programs that could protect their devices or clean up infections more quickly,” says Facebook engineer Chetan Gowda in a blog post.
Malware scanning offered upon suspicious behavior
When signs of suspicious activity are detected by Facebook on a device, the user receives a warning and is provided the choice to download a suggested anti-malware product in order to carry out a verification routine.
The entire procedure is transparent as the results are delivered through a notification, without impacting the Facebook experience, as the social platform and other services can be used, the engineer says. The same approach is available for the other security solutions.
No maintenance is required for the downloaded apps because only the latest versions are delivered to the user, and the software removes itself when the operation is complete.
The ESET solution integrated into the social network platform is the Online Scanner, which is expected to “significantly decrease the number of malicious links from among the trillions of clicks that take place every day on Facebook,” Gowda said.
According to ESET, the product has been used in more than 40 million scans by individuals around the world.
Tapping into the resources available from Facebook users is a great opportunity for any vendor of security products, since they are exposed to a large number of potentially malicious links. After processing, the information can be used to increase detection accuracy of other solutions they provide.
