Social networking firm Facebook and IT security solutions company Sophos have joined hands to alert users about malware or malicious sites.
The duo will assess threat perception of a malicious link and tip the users off accordingly.
When users click a link, Facebook will refer the request to a database of malicious sites to check for its health. Sophos Labs will be feeding malicious URL intelligence into this database starting from today.
“Facebook will inform users, if the link they clicked on is malicious. Users will be sent to a page that offers the choice to continue at their own risk, return to the previous screen, or obtain more information on why the link was flagged as suspicious,” a Sophos statement said here.
Downloading option
Mac users will also be given the option to download the free Sophos anti-virus from the Sophos' Facebook page.
“Facebook has become the default forum for sharing and consuming opinions, news and personal content. Because content is typically posted by a trusted source - a friend, many users incorrectly assume that these links are safe. Scammers often take advantage of the trust relationship to fool users into clicking malicious links,” Mr Mark Harris, Vice-President of Sophos, said.
“Our partnership with Facebook will educate users to make more informed decisions regarding what they click on and will help reduce the spread of malicious links,” he said.