Security in social networks is often overlooked
In 2010 Internet will be accessed by more people than ever from more different devices than ever.
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and others continue to grow. The Swedish teachers union has actually suggested to make “Social Network Knowledge” a subject for the national curriculum. A more important subject is probably the inherent risks associated with social networks.
Social networks being targeted by hackers was already happening in 2009 and it will certainly grow even more in 2010. More and more networks allow 3rd party applications to run on their platforms. The open approach to 3rd party application creates potential opportunities to distribute malware, which has already been illustrated by several Facebook account hackings in 2009.
Some applications in social networks might not harm your computer, but still be very annoying. A good example of this are games on social networks that attract a lot of players and then require players to purchase things to be able to progress in the game. Even though this does not force you do anything, it could still become very addictive for some users.
Social networks’ use as distribution points for malware, spam and other rogue software are all examples of security risks associated with social networks.
Other forms of social networks will most certainly be affected by malware and spam in 2010.Instant messaging (IM:ing) is also a kind of of social network and is suffering from unsolicited contacts made to existing users. This is called SPIMMING for short.
Malware in social networks can be more than an annoyance, with more and more people posting sensitive information online this data can be harvested, sold or abused.
To summarize the growing use of online social networks will also increase the risk of being infected or at least affected by malware and SPAM. The staff at digital defender recommends all users of social networks to not open emails by unknown users, be very careful with which applications you sign up to and never ever give away your password.
Installing a good antivirus and a good firewall will also help to keep your computer safe. If you have need for more ideas or recommendations about security software please contact us at info@digital-defender.com or go to our website http://www.digital-defender.com to read more.
Stay safe online in 2010
Best Regards,
Kerry Reid
digital defender