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Since Facebook launched on cyber space, millions are already hooked to this social networking site. Others have even cancelled their accounts to other social networking sites because of the alluring and unique features and applications that are offered by this sudden hit in the internet world. Many have tried to copy Facebook’s applications and still failed to be at par with the attention it has been getting.

With that being said, it is no longer shocking to know that the site is now becoming the target of notorious hackers. With the site’s 120 million users, no wonder that this is now the terrain of the fastest growing viruses in the world. One of the latest and probably the most alarming of the viruses to attack the site is the Koobface virus; Facebook, koobface. How does it infect your computer and what can it do? And how can you actually combat it?

Koobface is a virus that comes like an e-mail sent by one of your social networking friends. You can easily tell an e-mail that contains this kind of virus by its subject. According to Kaspersky, these are the common subjects: Paris Hilton Tosses Dwarf On The Street; You must see it!!! LOL. My friend catched you on hidden cam; Examiners Caught Downloading Grades From The Internet. Once you receive this kind of e-mail and you click the URL, it will ask you to update your flash player first before you can view the video. And that’s where the virus starts to invade your computer, hidden in a "flash_player.exe" file. According to Kaspersky Lab, "the worms transform victim machines into zombie computers to form botnets."

The most alarming effect of this virus is that it can steal very personal information like credit card details. "It can either wait for you to buy something online and just remember the details you type in on your keyboard.” ”Otherwise it can search your computer for any cookies you might have from when you've bought something in the past, and take them from there.”; says Guy bunker who works for Symantec, the company responsible for making Norton antivirus.

If you’re a Facebook user and your account has been infected with Koobface, then you should know that there is actually a way for you to manage this. Guy Bunker suggests you to download antivirus software, or you can just do it yourself. Go to your Windows directory and search for the files tmark2.dat and mstre6.exe, if you find these files, delete them right away.

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