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Facebook under attack from 'koobface'

Members of social networking site Facebook are being targeted by a new virus, whose online security implications involve data theft and the possibility of ID theft, it has emerged.

A virus dubbed koobface is said to be doing the rounds on the network, which has millions of users, by targeting members with an add-on message that is booby trapped with a malicious programme.

The virus uses Facebook's messaging system to infect users by asking them to check out an application with the title 'You look just awesome in this new movie', according to internet security firm McAfee.

However, clicking on the link directs respondents to a new page requiring them to download what it claims is an update of Adobe Systems Flash player, but this is the actual virus.

Downloading the said programme leaves users' internet security compromised and the malicious programme redirects them to infected web pages every time they try using search engines such as Google or MSN.

A version of this virus was reported to have affected social network MySpace in August.

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