![\"Facebook](\"\/huntsville-al\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2018\/04\/tmijozfacebook-beginners-36.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nUpdated April 20, 2018
\nBy Craig Johnson, Clark.com<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just when we thought it couldn\u2019t get any worse for Facebook, who is involved in a huge data scandal, a new problem involving users\u2019 personal information threatens to drag the social network further into controversy.<\/p>\n
Criminals have hacked into \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of Facebook accounts by infecting users\u2019 computers with malware disguised as a painting app, according to researchers for cybersecurity firm Radware.<\/p>\n
Malware targets 40,000 Facebook\u2019s users, researchers say
\nThe culprit is a third-party app, \u201cRelieve Stress Paint,\u201d which has infected more than 40,000 accounts in a number of days, the firm said this week. The rouse has targeted people\u2019s log-in credentials and those who have payment information linked to a Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Social media sites such as Facebook have long been prized targets for hackers. Just this week, cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs said that Facebook deleted nearly 120 private groups on the site aimed at discussing and learning how to defraud people via cybercrime. The groups totaled more than 300,000 members, according to Krebs, who said he alerted the social media site.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Facebook voted the least-trusted tech company<\/p>\n
The rapid spread of the latest illicit program has led Radware researchers to believe that \u201cthis malware was developed professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are investigating these malware findings and we are taking steps to help protect and notify those who are impacted,\u201d Facebook communications manager Pete Voss told political website The Hill.<\/p>\n
Radware researchers said that the malware may soon strike the world\u2019s largest online retailer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe suspect that the group\u2019s next target is Amazon as they have a dedicated section for it in the attack control panel,\u201d the security researchers said in their report. \u201cRadware will continue to analyze the campaign and monitor the group\u2019s activity. Prior to publication of this alert, Radware has detected another variant of the malware and saw indication of this new version in the control panel.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you suspect that your computer has been infected, here\u2019s how to get your computer clean. Money expert Clark Howard says the best antivirus programs are oftentimes free.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe sure you\u2019re regularly updating whatever free anti-virus software you get,\u201d he writes. \u201cI recommend that you do it on a weekly basis. Yes, it takes a little while and it\u2019s a pain like being told to floss your teeth. But it\u2019s so important. The paranoid among us will tell you to do it everyday. That\u2019s not bad advice either.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Updated April 20, 2018 By Craig Johnson, Clark.com Just when we thought it couldn\u2019t get any worse for Facebook, who is involved in a huge data scandal, a new problem involving users\u2019 personal information threatens to drag the social network further into controversy. Criminals have hacked into \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of Facebook accounts by infecting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n