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Facebook risks firms' security


Letting employees use Facebook while at work could lead to some nasty surprises for bosses, according to experts.


Facebook has more than 52m users worldwide

A security firm has warned that giving workers access to social-networking sites such as Facebook could lead to security risks.

Time-wasting and bandwidth-hogging are not the only headaches that these websites can give bosses, according to web security service ScanSafe, as they are increasingly being targeted by hackers too.

Eldar Tuvey, chief executive of ScanSafe said: "Where there are large numbers of users, there is sure to be malware and other risks, as popular sites attract not just legitimate users but attackers as well.

According to ScanSafe, more than a third of companies are now blocking Facebook and other social-networking sites, and more than half prevent video downloads, too.

"Last year, we found that up to one in 600 profile pages on social-networking sites host some form of malware, and we have seen several recent instances of malware targeting users of sites that include both MySpace and Facebook," continued Tuvey.

Recently, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called on employers to set down clear rules concerning the use of the internet at work, in consultation with employees.

Last week, Neath Port Talbot council in Wales came under fire from security company Sophos for firing two employees who had been using auction site eBay excessively during working hours.

www.scansafe.com
www.facebook.com
www.sophos.com
www.ebay.co.uk



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