![](\"http:\/\/static.onlinesocialmedia.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Facebook-killer2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBitDefender Safego finds nearly 25% of its users have had at least one friend spreading malicious content<\/p>\n
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SYDNEY & AUCKLAND \u2013 June 28, 2011 \u2013 Coinciding with the full launch of its Safego Facebook security application, BitDefender\u00ae has found that of 73,000 Safego Beta users worldwide, nearly 25 percent (24.6) have had at least one Facebook friend spread malicious content to others.<\/p>\n
With public awareness about the threats present on social networks growing, BitDefender conducted a review that found nearly 25 percent of Safego users have had at least one friend who posted an infected item on Facebook, such as a suspicious application or a link to further potentially harmful content. The negative consequences of such items include targeted scam emails and potential identity theft.<\/p>\n
In comparison, only 0.7 percent of Safego users have spread malicious content to their friends. When BitDefender Safego is installed onto your Facebook account, it completes a scan of all wall posts and applications that have been installed. If an infected object is detected, Safego will display a warning message with suggestions on how to proceed. If the \u2018publish to wall\u2019 feature is enabled, a warning message will be automatically posted on the infected friend\u2019s Facebook wall to alert them of the malware.<\/p>\n
Catalin Cosoi, head of online threats lab at BitDefender, commented: \u201cThese findings strongly suggest that more caution should be exercised when using social networks \u2013 for our own sake as well as our Facebook friends\u2019. Assuming that friends won\u2019t post malicious content is not enough, as in many cases they may be doing so without actually realising that the application posting on their behalf is of a malicious nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBitDefender Safego has been developed as a free and simple application that offers a very important layer of security for Facebook users. Since the Beta release in October 2010, Safego has helped to detect nearly 340,000 infected objects, keeping its users and their friends safe from social network security threats.\u201d<\/p>\n
The full version of BitDefender Safego for Facebook launches today and offers a range of key features, including:<\/p>\n
– 24\/7 scanning of newsfeeds for malicious content<\/p>\n
– The \u2018Friend\u2019o\u2019meter\u2019 to help build a safe network of friends<\/p>\n
– Integrated Quickscan, which relies on award-winning BitDefender antivirus technologies to check your PC for threats within 60 seconds<\/p>\n