Facebook Immune System

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What Does Facebook Immune System Mean?

The Facebook Immune System (FIS) is the security infrastructure Facebook uses to detect spam and other cyber scams. FIS works by employing intelligent software to detect suspicious links and patterns of behavior on the social networking website. This software is overseen by a team of security professionals, but it can also learn and take action on its own.

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Although Facebook statistics show that the system is highly effective overall, scammers continue to find ways to circumvent these security tactics and get spam, scams and malware to Facebook users.

Techopedia Explains Facebook Immune System

Because personal Facebook pages can carry a large amount of personal information, security on this hugely popular social networking site has always been a concern. Some of the scams the security issues that have emerged on Facebook include:

  • Likejacking, where scammers share a compelling image or video through “Likes.” This content may include attempts to secure personal information through surveys, or get users to download malware.
  • Social bots, which imitate real Facebook users and friend other users to gain personal information.
  • The infiltration of users’ feeds to spread pornographic or other graphic images to users’ friends

Although Facebook continually works to upgrade its security and prevent scams, users can protect themselves by only “friending” people they know, avoiding clicking on offers or sensational links and never agreeing to download files, provide personal information or paste code into their browsers.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.