Social networking site Facebook has partnered with unified Web security company Websense to protect Facebook users from links that lead to malware and malicious sites.
Websense said that when a Facebook user clicks on a link, it will now be checked against the Websense database. If the link is malicious, the user will see a page that offers the choice to continue at their own risk, return to the previous screen, or get more information on why it was flagged as suspicious, said Websense.
Websense ThreatSeeker Cloud is an advanced classification and malware identification platform which is incorporated in the new Facebook security service. Websense said the Web content in the soical networking site is analysed in real-time within the ThreatSeeker Cloud by Websense’s Advanced Classification Engine (ACE) technology, which prevents data loss and malware exposure by identifying complex online threats and content.
Facebook product manager for Site Integrity Dan Rubinstein said Facebook cares about protecting users from potentially malicious content on the Internet.
"We are excited about our partnership with Websense to provide industry leading tools to help our users protect themselves," added Rubinstein.
Websense Chief Technology Officer Dan Hubbard said Websense has been analysing and classifying the Internet for over 15 years, and now all Facebook users will be protected by the same core technology that is used in the Websense TRITON enterprise security offerings.
"Every day, Websense Security Labs works to discover, investigate, and report on advanced internet threats that are designed to circumvent antivirus products. By providing real-time protection from malware, spyware, inappropriate content, data leaks, and spam, we make it safe for people and businesses to use the web," added Hubbard.
