Ramnit targets Facebook users

Up to 45,000 Facebook users, mainly in the UK and Europe, have had personal account details stolen after becoming infected with a new version of the Ramnit malware.

Ramnit was originally designed to steal people's banking log in details and other personal information, the tweak enables the cyber criminals to get wider distribution by targeting users of the social networking site.

Security companies believe the compromised accounts are then used to spread the malware through links and wall posts, which then direct users to sites where more information can be gleaned.

Facebook said that it had been aware of the attack and compromised accounts had been locked down and people forced to reset their password.

It also said the majority of information the cyber criminals would have been able to get would have been "out of date" and attempts to further compromise accounts would be unsuccessful.

The use of social networks to spread malware is not new but is expected to grow as an easier way of infecting PCs. A number of security vendors such as Bit Defender and Websense have developed protection for users of Facebook and some other sites.

But the usual warning applies; people should not click on suspicious links and report unusual activties to Facebook.

In a statement, a Facebook representative said: "Last week we received from external security researchers a set of user credentials that had been harvested by a piece of malware. Our security experts have reviewed the data, and while the majority of the information was out-of-date, we have initiated remedial steps for all affected users to ensure the security of their accounts.

"Thus far, we have not seen the virus propagating on Facebook itself, but have begun working with our external partners to add protections to our anti-virus systems to help users secure their devices.

"People can protect themselves by never clicking on strange links and reporting any suspicious activity they encounter on Facebook. We encourage our users to become fans of the Facebook Security Page for additional security information".