{"id":6415,"date":"2010-06-09T19:43:28","date_gmt":"2010-06-09T09:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/power-up.space\/?p=6415"},"modified":"2010-06-09T19:43:28","modified_gmt":"2010-06-09T09:43:28","slug":"avg-researchers-identify-new-social-network-application-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.impulsegamer.com\/wordpress\/?p=6415","title":{"rendered":"AVG Researchers Identify New Social Network Application Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Political Hacktivists Deface Facebook Members\u2019 Pages to Make Statement<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Melbourne<\/strong>, 9 June 2010<\/strong> \u2013 AVG (AU\/NZ) Pty Ltd<\/a> has announced that researchers at AVG Technologies have discovered a new threat to Facebook: \u201cPolitical Hacktivism\u201d, or the non-violent use of illegal or legally ambiguous digital tools in pursuit of political ends. Over the weekend of 5-6 June 2010, AVG researchers noticed that a number of Facebook accounts had seemingly been hacked by Turkish hackers in retaliation for the recent Gaza blockade incident.<\/p>\n

The threats seem to take two forms which AVG researchers note probably indicates there are two individuals or groups involved, and it appears they are Turkish hackers. These tools include web site defacements, redirects, denial-of-service attacks, information theft, web site parodies, virtual sit-ins, virtual sabotage, and software development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number of hacked accounts is fairly small, so far less than fifty, which would indicate that it is not an automated attack, but the number is still increasing, albeit slowly,\u201d said Roger Thompson, AVG Chief Research Officer. \u201cThis is the first time, as far as I am aware, that Facebook has been a victim of political hacktivism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson continued, \u201cGiven that the attack seems to be being run by Turkish hackers, and that Turkish hackers had once claimed a world record for defacing 37k pages in a single day, we should not discount the thought that they might find an automated way to move, and we should be extra vigilant with what we click. Think before you link.\u201d<\/p>\n

This hacktivism on Facebook is another in a continuing string of malicious attacks to the popular social networking site.<\/p>\n

Lloyd Borrett, Marketing Manager of AVG (AU\/NZ), said: \u201cAVG recognises the power that social networking brings to our professional and personal lives and does not advocate giving up on the technology altogether. However, we do have some recommendations on how to best protect yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n