This week, Facebook announced a new online security feature that will inform users of attempts by government entities to hack their accounts. Those who are victims of attempted hacks by state-sponsored groups will be given a warning when logging in, prompting them to set up additional security measures in order to protect their accounts.
Here's an example of the kind of messages Facebook's affected users would receive under the new policy.
It is believed that numerous states worldwide engage in the hacking of social media accounts, including Tunisia, China and Syria. The regime of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was alleged to have hacked 1.4 million Facebook accounts in an attempt to round up ring leaders in anti-government protests.
Online hacking group Syrian Electronic Army (SEA)—a notorious backer of the Syrian government—has carried out multiple cyber attacks on websites and social media accounts since the start of the conflict in 2011. CNN's Facebook page was hacked in 2014 for its alleged anti-Assad bias, while other media outlets lost control of their Twitter pages in 2013 to attacks by the SEA.
It is unclear whether or not there is any official link between the group and the government, but analysts say it's highly likely.
Facebook’s new measures could make hacking far more difficult for the SEA, as well as other state-sponsored hackers.
By Kane Hippisley-Gatherum
