Facebook is trying to strengthen security on its Web site with some outside help. Computer security company McAfee Inc. will now scan and repair the computers of Facebook users whose accounts have been compromised, the company said Wednesday. The scanning process will be added to the steps that Facebook already makes the users of such accounts go through if they want to reclaim their pages. McAfee is also offering Facebook's more than 350 million users six-month subscription to McAfee's Internet security software at no charge. But to get the free subscription, McAfee's Facebook page requires users to first become a “fan” of the company. As with all fan pages, the move is posted to users' news feeds for their friends to see — an easy way to gain even more fans. After the free trial, McAfee plans to give Facebook users a discount if they decide to renew their subscriptions, but the company did not provide such details as cost. As part of the deal, Facebook also said McAfee will be its sole provider of consumer security software for a year. Facebook says spam and viruses affect a tiny percentage of its users. But hackers are increasingly targeting the social sites as they become a core part of the Web.
