This article discusses the new security policy that Facebook has put into place as a reaction to users' accounts being broken into due to logging onto public computers or unsecure networks. Facebook now allows users to request a temporary password from their mobile phone. The temporary password has a 20 minute lifespan which shortens the opportunity window a cybercriminal has to break into the account. Facebook also now allows users to remotely view the locations where their account is currently logged in and confirm whether the users are legitimate based off the location of the login. Hacked accounts can be logged off and the user is prompted to change their password.
Hacking into a person's Facebook account doesn't at the surface seem very profitable. Are they going to look at my pictures? However, when you think about it, Facebook has a lot of information about your life. It potentially shows where you live, your birthday, phone number, who you are dating and most importantly a concise digital list of all your buddies as well as their basic information. A hacked account can potentially expose a person's entire social network to malware by using the trust associated with friends to trick users into visting potentially dangerous sites. While many are reluctant to click on a link from a stranger, they may not be as guarded when a friend sends a similar link. As Facebook becomes more and more integrated with a users daily life, it becomes a bigger and bigger target for cybercriminals. Scary stuff!
When I think about what future facebook has this and another recent article, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304772804575558484075236968.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection really makes me question if the company has what it takes in terms of a security/privacy ie "don't be evil" philosophy. My money is still on google on this front; trusting facebook's ability AND willingness to treat my information carefully less and less everyday.
ReplyDelete