Facebook to send notifications to victims of state hackers

Facebook will send notifications to users whose accounts may be attacked or compromised by hackers operating on behalf of a government. Alex Stamos, Facebook’s head of security, announced this.

In a note on the Facebook Security page, Stamos lists the notification users will see if they may be under attack from state hackers. The notification calls for ‘Login Approvals’, Facebook’s two-step authentication, to be enabled so that a security code must be entered each time a new login is attempted.

Stamos writes that Facebook always takes measures as soon as an account has been hacked, but has decided to show an extra warning if there is a strong suspicion that the attack comes from hackers who operate on behalf of a government or state. Such attacks are more dangerous and sophisticated than usual, according to the social network.

The message emphasizes that the warning has nothing to do with an attack on Facebook’s own systems. Users who become victims are said to be due to malware on their computer or mobile device. People who see the warning should therefore take measures and possibly replace their system, according to Stamos.

Facebook does not say how it can trace the attacks to state hackers. It is also not clear whether there is a specific reason for displaying the new warning. The social network promises to only use the notification if there is strong evidence to support Facebook’s suspicion.