Free Norton App Targets Malicious Facebook 'Likejacking'

With accessibility being one of the central features of almost every "smart" device, it is no wonder that social networking has become an integral part of the everyday routine.

But one of the factors that takes away from this experience is the increasing number of virtual traps that hackers design to victimize and/or profit from social networking users.

Among the most prolific attacks on Facebook members is the "likejacking" scam, a form of click hijacking whereby users are tricked into recommending a site they've never visited.

In response to this malicious practice, Norton has created a new application for the social network that will scan the newsfeeds on your page for malicious links. The best part is that the application is free of charge.

Uploaded Facebook Videos Linked to Likejacking Scam

Norton collected a sample of 3.5 million video posts uploaded onto Facebook in early August. The results showed that up to 15 per cent of these videos contained a "likejacking" attack in some form. (Source: allfacebook.com)

To increase the chances of an individual clicking on a corrupted link, online deviants attempted to design the most compelling (and realistic) taglines. Among the most popular "likejacking" scams is a video entitled "This man takes a picture of himself EVERYDAY for 8 YEARS!" complete with an accompanied link.

Contagious Link Spreads Quickly

Naturally, the link is corrupt, taking the user-turned-victim to a blank page with only a tab that reads "click here to continue". Clicking on the tab publishes the original message onto their own Facebook page, complete with a "like" notation, which effectively recommends the unwanted link to all of their Facebook friends.

The Norton application promises to scan links posted within a 24 hour window and members can visit the Norton Facebook page to access the Cybercrime Index, which is updated daily to reflect the threat level for each day. (Source: canoe.ca)

The app is available via Facebook here.