Facebook account-protection push opts for scare tactics

Facebook has quietly begun testing new account-protection features but the scary wording of prompts to try out the technology might easily be mistaken for a sophisticated phishing attack. Users of the social network might be offered the protection via an ad in the side panel which reads: "Your account protection is very low - …

[Bilgepipe]

Oh no, not El Reg too...

"A Reg staffer was confronted by the account protection push earlier this week"

You mean even the staff at El Reg have succumbed to the Facebook plague?

I'm gutted, gutted I tell you.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Ah yes but...

In the world of journalism it is sometimes necessary for professional hacks to go to places that their readers would not, so they can expose the terrible realities of life.

In these days of too much "news" consisting of rehashed PR hand-outs, we should be pleased that El Reg still upholds the traditions of true investigative journalism.

Let us therefore celebrate... (continued p56)

Are all these pills for me nurse?

[Mike007]

smart

you're forgetting something, what type of users are likely to have their accounts compromised by such methods? and what type of users are likely to click on that security warning?

by making it look so suspicious they are just making sure it is targeted at the type of people who need it the most!

[Elmer Phud]

Hows about

Hows about putting out proper security messages?

Mine should be "your password is a weak as fuck and any half-witted twat could work it out"

[yoinkster]

I saw this ...

It took me a very long time to decide to click on it and even when I was taken to the page that looked like an official stalkerbook page I was still very wary of it.

I didn't add another e-mail address, I certainly didn't give them my phone number but I did add a security question as I hadn't got one before. Account recovery is not top of my priority list as I suspect that I will never lose control of my account because of my own actions. But what's the harm of telling them the name of the first bird I ever snogged?

Those who fall for phishing scams will probably click through and fill in the details without a moment's thought and perhaps that was stalkerbook's plan? Make it look like a scam because the people they want to "protect" are those that fall for similar looking scams.

[King Edward I]

Well...

"But what's the harm of telling them the name of the first bird I ever snogged?"

If said bird on facebook they may suggest you as a friend to her, and depending how that relatonship ended, that could get messy :P

[Alex Brett]

Re: I saw this...

> But what's the harm of telling them the name of the first bird I ever snogged?

They might suggest to her that she add you as a friend?

[multipharious]

Ad Design

It looks like those stupid ads for cleaning the registry. Reallly low quality and rather suspicious graphics.

If you have not gone to a "suspect" country, then you have not been through the account verification. This is when you get a choice to allow you access to your account. Seems like all my friends did the same thing. Identify 10 photos with friends tagged in them. Well this is supposed to work, and it did in everyone's case in our house, but I got photos that were tagged of nothing in the random batch...just because people can.