Facebook more dangerous than Twitter, says AVG

Facebook poses more of a security threat to users than Twitter, says security software vendor AVG.

The company’s NZ and Australia spokesperson Lloyd Borrett told PC World that the attention social networking sites were receiving from cyber criminals had “spiked” in the last year and users needed to be aware of the risks they faced.

Those risks included identity theft, if a user posted too much information online, and malware infection, if they clicked on dangerous links.

The major threat to Twitter users was malware infection and they needed to be particularly careful when clicking on a shortened link that didn’t clearly state its destination. But for Facebook users, shortened links and identity theft were equally dangerous, Borrett said.

“You have got a lot more info on a Facebook account, it’s potentially much more dangerous.”

Many Facebook users posted their name, birthday and private information like email addresses that could assist the “bad guys” in their efforts to defraud them or their friends.

Personal details could help a criminal gain access to bank accounts or a person’s email, where further information might be stored. They could also be exploited to trick a user’s colleagues into thinking they were dealing with someone they knew, making the victim easier to rip off, Borrett said.