Mark Zuckerberg: Why is Facebook still using Kaspersky Lab?

[Denzil_DC]

14. A Google search for

"We've noticed that this device may be infected with malicious software" shows up 409,000 results.

The ones I've looked at describe similar experiences with Facebook, but not always specifying a scan with Kaspersky - sometimes it's ESET, Trend Micro or F-Secure (reputable AV programs).

I don't use Facebook, so I'm assuming these hundreds of thouands of people don't all have some phishing malware that's spoofing Facebook.

Here's a note from Facebook itself about all this from a while back (they seem not to have been using Kaspersky back then):

Making malware cleanup easier
20 May 2014 at 09:08

You'll find a recommendation to install software to detect and clean up malware in almost any security guide. Although a single product isn't sufficient to defend against all modern security threats, the general recommendation persists because the technology remains effective in blocking categories of known threats and cleaning up malware infections if they find their way onto your computer. Since resolving a malware problem is a little bit different each time, we're committed to working with our partners to give people on Facebook the help they need in keeping their information secure.

Our goal is to make it easier for people to find and use the right technology to better protect their devices. We've worked with F-Secure and Trend Micro to incorporate free anti-malware software downloads directly into our existing abuse detection and prevention systems. These are the same systems that help us block malicious links and bad sites from among the trillions of clicks that take place every day on Facebook.

Here's how it will work when we detect that a device interacting with Facebook is behaving in a suspicious way that we believe is related to a malware infection:

* When logging in from the infected device, you'll see a notification screen about a malware infection, along with a recommendation to use F-Secure's malware scanning and cleanup technology or HouseCall from Trend Micro. Each product contains distinct malware signatures and is suited to different kinds of threats, so we recommend trying the suggested product even if you already have an anti-virus or similar program running on your machine. You won't have to worry about maintenance; these versions are up-to-date and will remove themselves once they're done running.
* You can choose to skip the malware removal process and decline to download the recommended scanner. If you skip removing the malware, you may be prompted again later.
* You'll download and run the scanner, during which time you can continue to use Facebook and other services. When the scan is complete, you'll receive a notification through Facebook and you'll be able to review the results of the scan.

We expect to offer additional software options in the future.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-security/making-malware-cleanup-easier/10152050305685766/

Some reckon they've found ways around it - see the replies on this blog post: http://jackyan.com/blog/2016/01/if-facebook-says-you-have-malware-do-not-download-their-program-heres-a-way-around-it/

FWIW, I use Kaspersky myself and have no problems with it or qualms about it, but I understand anyone's uneasiness. In fact, I signed up for years ago it after seeing it recommended regularly as part of a malware recovery strategy on various reputable forums that were helping people with their infections (Malwarebytes is also a common recommendation).