From idexperts: Wont You Be My Neighbor? Cybercriminals are drawn to social networking sites because of the accessibility and amount of personal information thats available, and its not just direct contact that may be hazardous. Even those friendly little gifts of virtual plants, hearts, and hugs from well-meaning friends can present problems. Identity thieves are constantly thinking up new ways to trick people into revealing personal information on social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter. Often hackers will create a profile that appears to be legitimate - called spoofing. Once you have accepted the friend invitation, the hacker then sends a message with lots of links in it - links that may download spyware or malware to your computer. And according to experts, users are often more willing to click on unknown links or surrender personal information because theyre on a trusted medium that encourages the unrestricted sharing of information. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace also support custom applications. These applications include everything from games to more useful programs such as Weekly Schedule, which allows users to post a graphical display of their activities. The problem is that when you add an application, the developer is granted unrestricted access to your private data. This, of course, makes it not so private. Worms can also be a problem. The Orkut worm, which was emailed to more than 400,000 Brazilians with Facebook profiles, is just one example of the way that security can be breached. Experts predict that other rapid, self-replicating viruses will be even more dangerous - designed to steal or delete users personal information like date of birth and passwords. That data can then be sold in numerous black market economies or used to acquire credit card and bank information. Often the same login credentials used on Facebook and MySpace are also used to access banking and other sensitive accounts. So what can you do to protect yourself? Never accept requests to join a network from people you do not personally know. (And it might be worth sending separate email to confirm invitations from friends, if you have any doubt.) Be careful what you post. Personal information such as dates of birth and phone numbers can be used to forge your identity. Check your privacy settings. On Facebook, these settings default to everyone. You should only share information with your friends. Be cautious of any message, post or link you find on a social networking site that looks suspicious or requires an additional login. Use an up-to-date browser that features an anti-phishing black list. Some examples includeInternet Explorer 10 or Firefox 27 Think twice about opting into games, IQ tests, and the many other goodies offered by networking sites, as they almost always require access to your personal profile in return for allowing you to participate. Social networking can be a great way to share interests and keep in touch with friends and family. But in a Web 2.0 world, it can also turn into a security nightmare. So be aware, keep your private information private, and maybe consider foregoing the virtual flowers and hugs in favor of the real thing.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 02:02:42 +0000
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