The Trojan Flashback virus has dominated tech news sites since it first appeared last year, but there are plenty of other viruses to worry about. Anyone interested in buying a new Mac or PC should keep up-to-date on the latest malware.

IT Security company Sophos reports on their Naked Security blog that a new Facebook scam has reared its ugly head. The blog was contacted by a reader who had received a suspicious looking email from Facebook regarding an account cancellation request. According to the email, the reader's account would be deleted if they didn't follow the provided link.

Naked Security discovered that the link took the user to a third party application that used Facebook's platform. The user was then asked to allow a Java applet plugin to run on their computer. After enabling the plugin, they received a message that said Adobe Flash must be updated as well. (Interestingly, Apple's Trojan Flashback virus was also disguised as an Adobe application.)

Naked Security's Graham Cluley commends the "cunning" element behind the new scam - it capitalizes on user attachment to Facebook. According to Cluley, the hackers "know that people value their Facebook accounts highly, and many would be upset to lose access ... to the digital connections they have built up with friends and family."

Ultimately, the hackers are most likely banking on the fact that users will automatically do anything to keep their accounts from being deleted. That means "blindly agree[ing] to whatever the computer tells them to do" until they believe their accounts have been saved, he adds.

The best way to protect yourself from this scam and other malware is to arm your computer with the most up-to-date virus protection software. An expert at PortableOne will be able to advise you on the options available for your particular device, whether you own a Sony Vaio or an Elitebook 2740p Tablet PC.