With the availability of Smartphone's and other sophisticated gadgets more and more people are using social networking sites for their day to day interaction. Social networking sites, every so often referred to as "friend-of-a-friend" sites, build upon the idea of established social networks where you are linked to new people through people you already know. The purpose of some networking sites may be just social, allowing users to establish friendships or passionate associations, while others may spotlight on establishing business associations.
Although the kind of social networking sites vary, they all allow you to give details about yourself and offer some type of communication instrument (email, forums, instant messenger, chat rooms,) that enable you to hook up with other users. On some sites, you can surf for people based on certain criterion, while other sites require that you be "introduced" to new people through a link you share. Many of the sites have communities or subgroups that may be based on a particular importance.
What Are The Security Risks Presented on These Sites?
Social networking sites depend on connections and communication, so they persuade you to provide a certain amount of personal details. You should make a decision on how much information you are going to reveal. For most people the decision is often ill conceived. Most people do not exercise caution when they reveal their personal details over the Internet.
The internet is unlike meeting a person in real life. It is known that many people are reluctant to give away information in person than on the internet. People feel much more comfortable with the internet as it seemingly provides a sense of anonymity
Over the internet, people style the information for their friends to read, forgetting that some the same information is accessible to other people as well.
People are people, they always desire to offer insights to astonish prospective friends or acquaintances.
Most users of social sites do not pose a threat. While the bulk of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the ease of access and quantity of personal data that is easily accessible. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form interaction online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to meet them in person. That could lead to a dangerous situation. The personal information can also be used to conduct a social engineering attack. Using information that you provide about your location, hobbies, interests, and friends, a malicious person could imitate a trusted friend or talk into you that they have the authority to access other personal or financial data.
In addition, because of the popularity of these sites, attackers may use them to distribute malicious code. Sites that offer applications developed by third parties are particularly susceptible. Attackers may be able to create customized applications that appear to be innocent while infecting your computer or sharing your information without your knowledge.
Protecting Yourself On Social Sites?
· Use strong passwords - Shield your account with passwords that cannot easily be guessed. If your password is compromised, someone else may be able to access your account and act as if it is you.
· Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not post information that would make you defenceless, such as your address or information about your timetable or habit. If your connections post information about you, make sure the joint information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing. Also be considerate when posting information, including photos, about your connections.
· Be skeptical - Don't believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, an exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taking any action.
· Be wary of strangers - The Internet makes it easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives. Consider limiting the people who are allowed to contact you on these sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount of information you reveal or agreeing to meet them in person.
· Evaluate your settings - Take advantage of a site's privacy settings. The default settings for some sites may allow anyone to see your profile, but you can customize your settings to restrict access to only certain people. There is still a risk that private information could be exposed despite these restrictions, so don't post anything that you wouldn't want the public to see. Sites may change their options periodically, so review your security and privacy settings regularly to make sure that your choices are still appropriate.
· Remember that the Internet is a public resource - Only post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes information and photos in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can't retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people's machines.
· Be wary of third-party applications - Third-party applications may provide entertainment or functionality, but use caution when deciding which applications to enable. Avoid applications that seem suspicious, and modify your settings to limit the amount of information the applications can access.
· Check privacy policies - Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies. This may lead to an increase in spam. Also, try to locate the policy for handling referrals to make sure that you do not unintentionally sign your friends up for spam. Some sites will continue to send email messages to anyone you refer until they join.
· Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date - Install software updates so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should enable it.
· Use and maintain anti-virus software - Anti-virus software helps protect your computer against known viruses, so you may be able to detect and remove the virus before it can do any damage. Because attackers are continually writing new viruses, it is important to keep your definitions up to date.
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| Most people do not exercise caution when they reveal their personal details over the Internet. |
What Are The Security Risks Presented on These Sites?
Social networking sites depend on connections and communication, so they persuade you to provide a certain amount of personal details. You should make a decision on how much information you are going to reveal. For most people the decision is often ill conceived. Most people do not exercise caution when they reveal their personal details over the Internet.
The internet is unlike meeting a person in real life. It is known that many people are reluctant to give away information in person than on the internet. People feel much more comfortable with the internet as it seemingly provides a sense of anonymity
Over the internet, people style the information for their friends to read, forgetting that some the same information is accessible to other people as well.
People are people, they always desire to offer insights to astonish prospective friends or acquaintances.
Most users of social sites do not pose a threat. While the bulk of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the ease of access and quantity of personal data that is easily accessible. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form interaction online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to meet them in person. That could lead to a dangerous situation. The personal information can also be used to conduct a social engineering attack. Using information that you provide about your location, hobbies, interests, and friends, a malicious person could imitate a trusted friend or talk into you that they have the authority to access other personal or financial data.
In addition, because of the popularity of these sites, attackers may use them to distribute malicious code. Sites that offer applications developed by third parties are particularly susceptible. Attackers may be able to create customized applications that appear to be innocent while infecting your computer or sharing your information without your knowledge.
Protecting Yourself On Social Sites?
· Use strong passwords - Shield your account with passwords that cannot easily be guessed. If your password is compromised, someone else may be able to access your account and act as if it is you.
· Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not post information that would make you defenceless, such as your address or information about your timetable or habit. If your connections post information about you, make sure the joint information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing. Also be considerate when posting information, including photos, about your connections.
· Be skeptical - Don't believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, an exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taking any action.
· Be wary of strangers - The Internet makes it easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives. Consider limiting the people who are allowed to contact you on these sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount of information you reveal or agreeing to meet them in person.
· Evaluate your settings - Take advantage of a site's privacy settings. The default settings for some sites may allow anyone to see your profile, but you can customize your settings to restrict access to only certain people. There is still a risk that private information could be exposed despite these restrictions, so don't post anything that you wouldn't want the public to see. Sites may change their options periodically, so review your security and privacy settings regularly to make sure that your choices are still appropriate.
· Remember that the Internet is a public resource - Only post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes information and photos in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can't retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people's machines.
· Be wary of third-party applications - Third-party applications may provide entertainment or functionality, but use caution when deciding which applications to enable. Avoid applications that seem suspicious, and modify your settings to limit the amount of information the applications can access.
· Check privacy policies - Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies. This may lead to an increase in spam. Also, try to locate the policy for handling referrals to make sure that you do not unintentionally sign your friends up for spam. Some sites will continue to send email messages to anyone you refer until they join.
· Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date - Install software updates so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should enable it.
· Use and maintain anti-virus software - Anti-virus software helps protect your computer against known viruses, so you may be able to detect and remove the virus before it can do any damage. Because attackers are continually writing new viruses, it is important to keep your definitions up to date.
Children are especially at risk to
the terrorization that social networking sites present. Even though many of
these sites have age limits, children may misrepresent their ages so that they
can join. By teaching children about Internet safety, being aware of their
online habits, and guiding them to suitable sites, parents can make sure that
the children become safe and accountable users
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