Following Google's example from back in 2012, Facebook has announced that it will begin informing users if their account is at risk of being targeted by state-sponsored attacks. The announcement is the latest in a series of security measures that the social media giant has enacted recently, according to Wired.
"While we have always taken steps to secure accounts that we believe to have been compromised, we decided to show this additional warning if we have a strong suspicion that an attack could be government-sponsored," Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos announced. "We do this because these types of attacks tend to be more advanced and dangerous than others, and we strongly encourage affected people to take the actions necessary to secure all of their online accounts."
Facebook has not specified how exactly the company will be able to determine which accounts are at risk of being on the receiving end of a government-sponsored attack. However, it did say that the company will issue the warning "only in situations where the evidence strongly supports our conclusion," reports The Verge.
Once flagged, Facebook will advise users to increase the security of their account. This could be done by turning on Login Approvals, Facebook's version of two-factor authentication, or, in extreme cases, the company will advise their users to replace their computers altogether.
With the online world becoming more and more transparent, security measures offered by companies such as Google and Facebook are a welcome addition for users worldwide.
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