According to reports, hackers have stolen nearly 2 million user passwords for Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and Twitter due to key-logging software installed on computers all over the world. A cyber security firm called Trustwave has stated that there is an untold number of computers that have this software installed on it.
The malicious software virus has been logging keystrokes and log-in credentials for the most popular sites on the internet for over a month. Those passwords have then been sent to a server that is controlled and monitored by hackers. November 24th, Trustwave researchers actually tracked the servers to locations in the Netherlands that had more than 93,000 compromised websites on them.
Some of the included accounts included the following:
- 318,000 Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) accounts
- 70,000 Gmail, Google+ and YouTube accounts
- 60,000 Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) accounts
- 22,000 Twitter (TWTR) accounts
- 9,000 Odnoklassniki accounts (a Russian social network)
- 8,000 ADP (ADP, Fortune 500) accounts (ADP says it counted 2,400)
- 8,000 LinkedIn (LNKD)accounts
These companies posted their findings on Tuesday.
“We don’t have evidence they logged into these accounts, but they probably did,” said John Miller, a security research manager at Trustwave.
Twitter officials stated that they have notified users that were affected and have since reset passwords for those users. Google declined comment and Yahoo didn’t provide immediate response.
Among the social and email sites, another 40,000 log in credentials for FTP have been stolen as well. If you are interested in seeing if your computer is infected by browsing applications and installed software, no dice. It runs in the background and is hidden. Your best bet is to download a fresh patch to your anti-virus software and update your Adobe and Java plug-ins.
Facebook is the most popular social network with more than 1 billion users worldwide and is a favorite from people young and old. A great place to keep in touch with friends and has a huge gaming platform. Many people start just to stay in touch with friends and before they know it, they are addicted to Farmville. Brands use the social network to promote content and drive traffic to their web properties. Facebook has stated that it affects the user experience and therefore adjusted their algorithm to make it more and more difficult for brands to promote to users. Many brands have actually began to focus less on Facebook and more on other social platforms that don’t regulate the distribution of their content.
Google + has made headway in the shadow of Facebook. It now has more than 400 million users and is gaining popularity. It boasts many features that make it very appealing to brands and users alike. SEO friendly post titles and the Google Hangout are just a couple that have people raving. So, hanging out in a chat box and talking to your friends is cool, but clicking a single ‘hangout’ button and your instantly connected via audio and video to your friends is a new level. It offers the ability to have that face-to-face chat with the important people in your life, even when you’re not there. And for brands who share and promote content via social networks, what could be better than SEO friendly titles. Not only do you get the SEO from the title of the post that you are sharing, but now Google + has amped it up to offer SEO on your G+ titles too. It also offers a very robust and well integrated mobile platform, especially to those who happened to use Android OS.
Pintrest has just launched over the last couple years and is hugely popular in certain circles. For the crafty moms or the people who love recipes, Pintrest is a great resource. It has a very share friendly platform and re-pinning ‘pins’ is super easy and actually lots of fun. If you’re looking for 10 ways to make your own household cleaners or the best Thanksgiving stuffing recipe, then Pintrest is definitely for you.
Twitter is a favorite amongst celebrities and athletes. People from Lady Gaga to the touring comedian use Twitter to inform fans and friends of what’s going on and where they are. It’s also a great place to follow your favorite “people” as well. It’s like a constant and instant feed from all the people you find important. If you want to know “everything” your favorite celeb is up to, or share what you had for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, Twitter is likely a good platform for you.