600,000 Facebook account logins compromised every day

[mfcorey1]

Facebook said this week that hackers using stolen username and password credentials try to break into at least 600,000 accounts every day on the mammoth social networking site.

The revelation was buried in a new security announcement issued by the company on Thursday describing the virtues of its new "Trusted Friends" password restoration technique. UK-based computer security firm Sophos first noticed the data.

The Facebook blog entry includes an infographic explaining the success of the network's efforts to beat back spam, account hijacking, and other ills. In it, Facebook says that "only 0.06 percent of 1 billion logins per day are compromised." The site is able to precisely count the number of stolen or otherwise compromised logins because it challenges the would-be hackers with additional authentication questions, such as asking users to identify friends in pictures, said spokesman Barry Schnitt.

"(This means) 600,000 times a day, we stop a bad guy from getting access to an account even though he has guessed, phished, or stolen the login and password of an account," Schnitt said. "This is something we're very proud of."

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/28/8527819-facebook-says-600000-account-logins-compromised-every-day

[alp227]

1. "Trusted friends"? never heard of that,

bottom line is that NEVER SHARE PASSWORD WITH ANYONE NOT EVEN "TRUSTED" friends.

[Puzzledtraveller]

2. can't stress enough about keeping your pc protected and updated

I went less than a month between my virus protection expiring before I could afford to renew and lost a msn account, my first email address I had for 10 years to a key logger trojan from a wiki page for a video game I was searching info on. Was a nightmare, everyone on my address list got an email saying I was stuck in London and needed 2500.00 to get back home because my money was stolen. :(

[RoccoR5955]

3. Yep, you MUST update the operating system, AND software, ESPECIALLY

if you run Windows. Because it is the most popular operating system, it is attacked more. Apple computers get attacked, but less frequently. Linux PCs, even less.

You should remember that not only is it essential to keep your anti-virus up to date with its DAILY updates, but keep up with Windows updates, on the first Tuesday of each month. You also have to update those Java, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Flash programs whenever updates are offered, because each update patches another recently discovered security hole in the software. Well, perhaps some holes are not recent, but they do get around to patching them eventually.

It doesn't have to cost you anything either, as there are plenty of free Windows anti-virus, and anti-malware programs that work just fine. It's also a good idea to run a software firewall, as well as a hardware firewall (the one built into your router). You should NEVER EVER plug your PC directly into the cable modem, DSL, ISDN, fiber, or other box. You do not ever want to make a direct connection to the Internet. If you do, you WILL get attacked within MINUTES.

Enough advice here for now. I can say all of this, because I am a network technician by trade, with 20+ years of experience. I have been working at the same place for much of that time, and am responsible for a network of over 2000 computers.

'Nuff Said.

[backwoodsbob]

4. not to pick a nit but...

the headline of the OP is VERY misleading.

600,000 ATTEMPTS to hack an account does not equal 600,000 compromised accounts

[redqueen]

5. That's not nitpicking.

The headline is blatantly misleading. Ugh.

[backwoodsbob]

6. hmm

*"(This means) 600,000 times a day, we stop a bad guy from getting access to an account even though he has guessed, phished, or stolen the login and password of an account," Schnitt said. "This is something we're very proud of."*


STOPPING a bad guy 600,000 times a day isn't 600,000 compromised accounts.