Validating the detection of spam based entities in social networking contexts

At least one computer readable storage medium for validating the detection of spam based entities in social networking contexts, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

• program code for receiving data concerning detection, in a social networking site, of at least one suspected social networking spam based entity;
• program code for creating a virtual social networking group, the created virtual social networking group emulating 1) a plurality of user profiles on the social networking site and 2) the at least one suspected spam based entity, the created virtual social networking group being isolated from the social networking site;
• program code for invoking at least one link in the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity in the created virtual social networking group;
• program code for emulating traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity in the created virtual social networking group, the traffic resulting from the invoking of the at least one link;
• program code for monitoring results of the invoking of the at least one link and the emulating of the resulting traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity;
• program code for, responsive to the monitored results of the invoking of the at least one link and the emulating of the resulting traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity, determining whether to validate the at least one suspected spam based entity as comprising a spam based entity;
• and
• program code for generating a validation indication specifying whether the at least one suspected spam based entity comprises a spam based entity.

A computer system configured to validate the detection of spam based entities in social networking contexts, the computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a system memory;
• a virtual social networking group creating module residing in the system memory, for 1) receiving data concerning detection, in a social networking site, of at least one suspected social networking spam based entity and
• for 21 creating a virtual social networking group, the created virtual social networking group emulating 1) a plurality of user profiles on the social networking site and 2) the at least one suspected spam based entity, the created virtual social networking group being isolated from the social networking site;
• a link invoking module residing in the system memory, for invoking at least one link in the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity in the created virtual social networking group;
• an off-domain emulating module residing in the system memory, for emulating traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity in the created virtual social networking group, the traffic resulting from the invoking of the at least one link;
• a result monitoring module residing in the system memory, for 1) monitoring results of the invoking of the at least one link and the emulating of the resulting traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity and;
• for 2), responsive to the monitored results of the invoking of the at least one link and the emulating of the resulting traffic to and from the emulated at least one suspected spam based entity, determining whether to validate the at least one suspected spam based entity as comprising a spam based entity;
• and
• a generating module residing in the system memory, for generating a validation indication specifying whether the at least one suspected spam based entity comprises a spam based entity.