Facebook and Twitter become hack-attack central

Security reports show that Facebook and Twitter are quickly becoming the epicentre for internet attacks alongside other social networking websites.

In fact, some hackers are even able to use Twitter via botnet armies that are composed entirely of computers that are already infected.

Branch Security director of application security, Ryan Barnett, stated that the social websites are finding themselves under attack because websites that have a large group of users are prime targets for hackers.

Barnett stated that mashups, widgets, and other similar features make it easy for hackers to form attacks and launch them at users which increases the draw to social media websites.

With 250 million members, it should not come as a surprise that Facebook is one of the main targets for hacker attacks.

In fact, the Web Hacking Incidents report showed that in the first half of 2009 social networking websites were the main target for hackers.

Other focused targets were launched on law enforcement websites and government websites.

The report also stated that web attacks increased 30% from the figures reported from the first half of last year.

19% of these attacks were on social networks.

Barnett said that in the previous years of 2007 and 2008 the main focus was on identity theft profit driven attacks on e-commerce websites.

He stated that while these attacks are continuing to happen, hackers have diversified and are now attacking on many different platforms.

Story link: Facebook and Twitter become hack-attack central