F Secure facebook Scan

[Jim Kennedy]

Is this new "free service" safe? Facebook now checks for and offers to scan your computer for malware using F secure. I have found plenty of info that expalins why facebook is doing this, but nothing to indicate that it is safe to download and run. Does anyone here know if this is safe? I am leary of any message I receive form ANYONE telling me I should download and allow their software to do anything to my computer.

[Jack Stoner]

I was just on Facebook and never got any notice.

However, if I did I wouldn't use it. I already have antivirus (Microsoft Defender that is built into Windows 10).

[Jack Stoner]

Deleted, Duplicate

[John Booth]

I quit facebook (which was hard for me) because of privacy issues like this.
Just not worth it to me.
JB

[Charlie McDonald]

I avoid FB, but if protection were necessary it'd probably carry some unwanted passengers with it. I'm not suspicious, just... suspicious.

[Dave Potter]

I don't do "social media" - I have an email address, and people who want to contact me can use it to do so, and my email filter will decide if they're successful.

But, IMO, the OP's reservations about letting a stranger meddle with his computer's innards is well founded. The perps who advertise that sort of thing aren't doing it out of the goodness of their little pea-pickin' hearts - there's nearly always an ulterior motive involved.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Facebook has indeed teamed up with both FSecure and Trend Micro to offer free anti-malware protection that is built into the user interface. Here is an excerpt describing these partnerships (source).

Our goal is to make it easier for people to find and use the right technology to better protect their devices. We've worked with F-Secure and Trend Micro to incorporate free anti-malware software downloads directly into our existing abuse detection and prevention systems. These are the same systems that help us block malicious links and bad sites from among the trillions of clicks that take place every day on Facebook.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I think that the following details about the new anti-malware scanning on Facebook should be taken seriously by members logging into Facebook and seeing a warning and offer of a free scan.

When logging in from the infected device, you'll see a notification screen about a malware infection, along with a recommendation to use F-Secure's malware scanning and cleanup technology or HouseCall from Trend Micro. Each product contains distinct malware signatures and is suited to different kinds of threats, so we recommend trying the suggested product even if you already have an anti-virus or similar program running on your machine. You won't have to worry about maintenance; these versions are up-to-date and will remove themselves once they're done running.

You can choose to skip the malware removal process and decline to download the recommended scanner. If you skip removing the malware, you may be prompted again later.

You'll download and run the scanner, during which time you can continue to use Facebook and other services. When the scan is complete, you'll receive a notification through Facebook and you'll be able to review the results of the scan.

[Clyde Mattocks]

I wonder what would be the difference IF you were to receive a notification that you were infected, simply run your own scan with your own trusted protection provider. I just don't trust sites on the internet doing me favors.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I wonder what would be the difference IF you were to receive a notification that you were infected, simply run your own scan with your own trusted protection provider. I just don't trust sites on the internet doing me favors.

If your preferred anti-malware program is fully up to date with definitions and heuristic analysis routines, and is able to identify emerging and zero day threats by their actions, and can detect threats that live in memory rather than on your hard drive and not give false positives very often, then yes, your own scan should be sufficient.

Frankly, I regard most online scanners as a tool of last resort when there is nothing comparable to use onboard (e.g.; broken, or disabled, or expired anti-virus), or as a second opinion if I suspect a false positive detection.

To further muddy the waters, major players, like my preferred Trend Micro Internet Security, now include detections of what are known in the business as "PUPs" (Potentially Unwanted Programs) or "PUMS" (Potentially Unwanted Modifications).These are programs that often attach themselves to your web browsers to redirect your searches to their own ad serving pages. Others pop up banners warning that your computer may be or is infected and offer to scan it with what is actually a fake scanner that gives scripted results that are used to goad you into purchasing a licensed version to remove those alleged infections. Yet others make changes to your browsers that interfere with your normal browsing experience.

I can understand why anybody who has seen a PUP or fake AV scanner before might be suspicious of a warning from Facebook, accompanied by an offer of a free scan. I can tell you that both F-Secure and Trend Micro are real deals in the anti-malware business. Many years ago I used F-Prot, which later became F-Secure. It protected my computers after the demise of Thunderbyte, which helped me learn to fight viruses manually in 1995. In fact, it was what I learned from Thunderbyte that launched my 15 year career as a professional computer troubleshooter (now ended).

Interestingly, Microsoft has just recently added detection of PUPs and PUMs to their Windows Defender application. Originally, these detections were all done by Spybot Search and Destroy, back in the earlier days of the Interwebs.

[Charlie McDonald]

... my 15 year career as a professional computer troubleshooter (now ended).

... except on this forum.
It's good that you're 'on the job' so to speak, reassuring us when something is actually legit. It's the past that colors the present:

When logging in from the infected device, you'll see a notification screen about a malware infection....

For those of us who've gotten burned (who hasn't?), it's not surprising we'd be reluctant to sign up.
Kind of makes it hard for legitimate enterprises. Zero Wing are always at work!
But knowing this, I'll feel confident each time I don't log in to FB.

[Dave Potter]

To further muddy the waters, major players now include detections of what are known in the business as "PUPs" or "PUMS"....

If these scanners only found things like the ones in the very good examples you listed, I'd be happy to see them. Unfortunately, my experience with "PUP-finders" so far (probably in Spybot) has alerted me to many apps on my system that I very much "wanted", and which never do anything questionable. So, I'm luke-warm to the "PUP/PUM" thing so far.

In fact, it was what I learned from Thunderbyte that launched my 15 year career as a professional computer troubleshooter (now ended).

I didn't know that till now.

Here's my question, one that came to mind after reading this thread: I wonder if it's remotely possible, given the fact that many potentially-infected PCs are all on social media sites at once, to contract a virus by contact. Are computer viruses contagious that way, by being on the same website with an infected PC?

[Dave Potter]

But knowing this, I'll feel confident each time I don't log in to FB.

Me too. I just can't deal with all the superficial stuff ... people who thrive on telling the rest of the world everything about themselves, a lot more than anyone else really ought to know.

"Ewww, look at what my dog just threw up...ewwww!"

[Jim Kennedy]

Thanks for the response. It seems that more amd more the "control" of my "personal computer" is being taken away. Seems nothing that connects to the internet is personal any more. I am also leary of android phones. The only way to truly contorl access is to root it, and then much of the "usefulness" of the phone is negated because it can't track every move and send it back to whomever wants the data once control is taken back. By the way, I'm not paranoid. I just think the "big players" really don't give a hoot about anybody's privacy. Just my 2 cetns worth.

[Dave Potter]

I am also leary of android phones. The only way to truly contorl access is to root it, and then much of the "usefulness" of the phone is negated because it can't track every move and send it back to whomever wants the data once control is taken back. By the way, I'm not paranoid. I just think the "big players" really don't give a hoot about anybody's privacy.

I agree with most of that. I happen to be an Android guy, and I'm acutely aware that it's "calling home to Mother" sometimes. I'm a light user, though, and I have settings "set" to the extent I can to deal with my own privacy concerns.

But ultimately, it's all about money. When we allow our browsing to be tracked, our position to be tracked, etc, and all that gets relayed to the Mothership, it enables targeted advertising, among other things, and Google makes no attempt to hide the fact. I try to turn that stuff off when I can, but I consider it more annoying than threatening.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Here's my question, one that came to mind after reading this thread: I wonder if it's remotely possible, given the fact that many potentially-infected PCs are all on social media sites at once, to contract a virus by contact. Are computer viruses contagious that way, by being on the same website with an infected PC?

That is one reason why Facebook contracted with F-Secure and Trend Micro. They are protecting the servers that host our FB accounts, on the actual account level. This is very tough on resources, but big players have ways of getting the job done.

I am still a spam and scam tracker/reporter and paying member of SpamCop. I write spam filters for MailWasher Pro. Much of what I report is traceable to compromised accounts on shared hosting servers. In fact, I just finished tracing an exploited server used in a spam run that just occurred. The account is part of Hurricane Electric and is already listed on VirusTotal and other malware tracking sites. I will be adding their IP to my Exploited Servers blocklist momentarily.