Dangers of the pervasive use of the Facebook "Like" Button

A dangerous spam or viral attack can stem from using the "Like" button on Web pages. We normally would not click on just any Web site that we encounter when we browse the Internet. However, we are tempted to click on something supposedly liked by a Facebook friend. But, if we do click on such Facebook links, we may be in for a rude surprise.

This attack is predicated on two prongs. The first is ease-of-use and the second is social engineering.

Unlike updating status or sharing one's thoughts -- actions that would take time, effort, and consideration -- clicking takes no effort. Consider opening your FB news and seeing nothing but these "Like" messages. It's a new form of attack that one could not ignore or hide unless one hides one's Facebook friends. Thus, this could be considered a variation of the denial-of-services attack.

Social engineering is also used to tempt and so to entrap FB users. The site typically has a religious tone or a cheap come-on. If you love Jesus, please click on the "Like" button. Or, if you want to get a free iPad please click on the "Like" button.

The end result is that a viral payload may be on these Web pages waiting to entrap anyone who clicks on the "if you like this ... please click" links from your FB friends that show up on your Facebook news feeds page.