Basingstoke, February 5th, 2013 – Today is ‘Safer Internet Day’. Barracuda Networks, a leading supplier of security solutions, offers some advice to users of social networks on how to protect themselves from attack on Facebook and Twitter. So-called “drive-by-downloads” are especially aggressive on these platforms. They can lead to a computer being compromised through a single thoughtless click. Users can protect themselves with Barracuda Network’s free tool ‘Profile Protector’, available at www.profileprotector.com

Wieland Alge, VP and General Manager EMEA, Barracuda Networks: “Criminal organisations dealing in internet attacks are not new. They now focus their activity where users are most active: social networks. Drive-by-downloads are an effective tool, as they do their damage with just a single click in a tweet or Facebook post. Common sense will remain the first line of defence, but anyone surfing without the proper and up-to-date technical security measures risks falling victim to an attack through only a moment’s lapse. Our Profile Protector scans for dubious objects and malicious links, protecting the user from attacks.”

Facebook and Twitter are both battling fake accounts used for initiating attacks. Fake profiles continue to be an effective and cheap way of distributing malicious links to users.” Barracuda published an analysis of the most common traits of fake accounts and their prevalence. (see http://www.barracudalabs.com/fbinfographic/index.html)

More information on how to keep your Facebook- and Twitter account safe:

• Facebook security information: http://www.facebook.com/security?v=app_4949752878
• Twitter security guidelines: https://support.twitter.com/articles/31796

Notes to the editor:
Find a Profile Protector screen shot at: http://pz.vibrio.de/k/Barracuda%20Networks/b/BWS960/Barracuda_ProfileProtector_Preview.jpg

The Barracuda Labs 2011 Social Networking Security & Privacy Study infographic can be found at: http://www.barracudalabs.com/SNSreport/

A picture of Wieland Alge, VP and General Manager EMEA, Barracuda Networks is available at: http://pz.vibrio.de/k/Barracuda%20Networks/b/pers/Wieland-Alge-01.jpg

About Barracuda Networks Inc.
Barracuda Networks combines premises-based gateways and software, virtual appliances, cloud services, and sophisticated remote support to deliver comprehensive content and network security, data protection and application delivery solutions. The company's expansive product portfolio includes offerings for protection against email and Web threats as well as products that improve application delivery and network access, message archiving, backup and data protection. Coca-Cola, FedEx, Harvard University, IBM, L'Oreal, and Europcar are among the more than 150,000 organizations protecting their IT infrastructures with Barracuda Networks' range of affordable, easy-to-deploy and manage solutions. Barracuda Networks is privately held with its International Headquarters in Campbell, California. For more information, please visit http://www.barracudanetworks.com.

Contacts:
Rosie Anderson / Lauren Dew
Touchdown PR  
+44 (0)1252 717 040
barracuda@touchdownpr.com