Zeus Trojan returns: Facebook being used to spread the infection

The infamous Zeus malware has once again resurfaced, but this time it’s using Facebook to further its crime spree. First detected in 2007, Zeus has infected millions of computers over the past six years. Despite the efforts of numerous security firms to combat the Trojan horse, it has only gotten stronger with age.

Following the initial infection, the virus lays dormant until an online banking site is opened. It then uses keyloggers to steal the unsuspecting victim’s usernames and passwords. Sometimes the Zeus malware goes even further - it replicates the bank's website, using a fake interface to obtain social security numbers, credit card digits, and other sensitive information. Eurograbber, a Trojan that employs similar methods to that of Zeus, reportedly stole $46.5 miillion from European users.

It is for this reason that Zeus is so effective. Even when your bank account is fully drained, the malware continues to search for any tidbits of data that can be sold on the black market. And unlike most malicious software, there are little to no warning signs - the computer will continue to operate normally, as an outright crash was never the intent.

Eric Feinberg, the founder of Fans Against Kounterfeit Enterprise (FAKE), believes that bogus Facebook pages are now being used to spread the malware. One such page was called “Bring the N.F.L to Los Angeles.” After asking a security team to analyze the shady links that were posted throughout the group, Feinberg's theories were proven to be correct.

The big concern is how little Facebook is doing to combat the threat. In response to Feinberg’s outreach to the social media giant, Facebook suggested that users should take matters into their own hands by signing up for scanners that can identify and remove the Trojan. According to The New York Times, Feinberg added, “They’re not listening. We need oversight on this.”

IIP bureau of U.S. State Department spent $630,000 on Facebook ‘likes’

The International Information Programs (IIP), a bureau of the U.S. State Department, spent $630,000 on Facebook advertising campaigns in 2011 and 2012, and according to a report from the Inspector General, they may not have gotten their money’s worth.

The campaigns were effective at gaining fans for four of the Bureau’s Facebook pages; they jumped from 100,000 to over two million during the two-year effort.

The Inspector General’s report reveals that some people aren’t pleased with the expenditure, citing complaints about ‘buying fans’ that potentially clicked ‘like’ once but were not engaged and then never returned.

Following a week of monitoring, the Inspector General’s office found that only 2 percent of the Bureau’s Facebook fans could be categorized as ‘engaged audience’ members, that is, people who are liking, sharing, and commenting.

According to RT, Facebook changed their policies in September 2012, dictating that content will only show up in friends of fans’ newsfeed when the user is an ‘engaged fan.’ This adjustment to the rules resulted in a significant decrease in the value of the Bureau’s purchases fan base.

“This change sharply reduced the value of having large numbers of marginally interested fans and means that IIP must continually spend money on sponsored story ads or else its ‘reach’ statistics will plummet,” the IG report said.

The report calls attention to the growing use artificially bolstered social media services. Instead of gaining fans or followers organically through useful, interesting, and engaging content, companies are able to buy there way to a massive audience.

Those selling the advertisements may be the only ones winning in these scenarios; users are served with content they aren’t interested in, and companies waste tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars on ineffective marketing.