Facebook adds Webroot, AVG and Panda as friends into AV Marketplace

Facebook has announced partnerships with three security vendors to join its AV Marketplace.

Partnerships have been announced with Panda Security, AVG and Webroot to offer security services to Facebook's more than one billion members via the marketplace.

The deals with the vendors will allow users to access software from the vendors as well as users being notified of malicious websites on their newsfeeds via the classification services.

Mike Malloy, executive vice president of Webroot, said: “The social networking phenomenon that Facebook has ushered in has also created a new opportunity for cyber criminals to exploit – our inherent nature to share.

“Some links placed into your timeline may have been put there by hackers. Clicking these links can be risky, so Facebook has chosen Webroot to help protect their users from unknowingly clicking on a malicious link which they believe a trusted friend has shared with them.”

A similar service is also offered by AVG. Its CEO JR Smith, said: “This partnership with Facebook marks our continuing commitment to collaborating with major brands to help protect online communities from cyber crime.

“Social platforms are today a vital part of our modern communications networks, and it's important that people do not feel worried about using them. We believe that consumers should have a choice of options they can use to secure their connected world, giving them peace of mind to enjoy their digital experiences whether through a computer, mobile device or tablet.”

Enrique Aguilera, VP consumer sales and marketing at Panda Security, said: “Facebook is the most popular social networking site, and we wanted to partner with them to offer an additional layer of protection to users. Facebook has shown a growing commitment to securing its millions of users, and we are delighted to collaborate with them to make the site a malware-free environment.”

Joe Sullivan, chief security officer at Facebook, said: “With over one billion users, we are tireless in our commitment to keep both our users and their data safe. We look forward to better protecting the people who use our service with these partnerships and industry-leading technology and expertise."

This article originally appeared at scmagazineuk.com