20 replies to this topic

[nirmaldaniel]

Today the very common Technology used by both young and old, rich and poor is gonna be Social Networking. Social Networking includes the common and the very famous ones like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut etc. Are these things safe enough ?? The most sad part in this is, there are youngsters who use these social networking websites without even knowing the security risks involved. People think once they go online they are safe.

Just let me consider one of the risk factor. This is available both in Facebook and in Orkut. The ALBUMS. Albums is some thing where every one keep their pics. Both personal and non personal. I consider it as a security risk. The one who keeps all his/her pics in the album thinks that he or she is secure because of the privacy settings over there. They are just blind folded by the tag "PRIVACY SETTINGS" which will protect them from people who try to steal their pics. NO !! actually it dosent work out that way. If x wanna see y's album and if Y's album has some strong privacy settings. X have two options, Flick the password of Y and check out the album. Now that Y may think that he or she is cleaver enough that he can keep his password secure. In such a case X can flick the password of one of Y's friend and login to his account and can access Y's Album. Here what ever secure Y may be his album is exposed to X.

Like wise there are many places where social networking can rage as a big threat.

I do not deny the advantages that it has in today's cyber world. All that i wanted to convey is that every one must be vigilant enough about the threats available in these social networking websites and then they must step into it. Else after a heavy loss it will be too late to realize.

[web_designer]

well, nirmaldaniel. i think this is the second or third topic about social networks security in general and facebook security in specific i read in a very short time.so all these make me go and check my accounts security, and be sure it can be hacked any time.

i think you are absolutely right and we shouldn't trust the word "privacy setting" but in fact we do, we do trust these words, we upload private information and private photos and sit down thinking that we are secure. if we lost our privacy, and our info and photos had been stolen we will start complaining and accusing that website, but we are forgotten the fact that this website is just like any other websites "no matter how much they talk about its strong security" it is a collection of software that can be hacked and messed up at any time. especially with all the evolution in software programs and programming languages. with every new program released, there are new ways are invented to hack these programs. and the reality is that no program language or software without bugs or errors, and this leads there is no secure website. but the problem is how many people in the world do know this fact.

[kleong]

As long as you don't post or upload anything too personal, then one will be safe. Server and application, no matter how big or reliable, they will never be 100% safe-proof.

[nirmaldaniel]

Yeah, All i mean to say here is that everyone who is soaked into the world of Internet will be knowing about the flaws in these social networking websites and they will keep themselves away from getting into any deep problems. But what about those not Internet soaked people who just step up online just to read a couple of emails and to find a place for themselves in these social networking websites. Ofcourse they are gonna be totally unaware of all the flaws and threats of social networking websites.

What can be really done about this ? Just imagine a situation where a Non Computer science student steps up online just to find a place in any one of the social networking website. He/she will obviously like the way, the interface of these websites and will be tranquilized on seeing it. In short he/she might get addicted to it without knowing the threats which it can face. So there comes a point he/she will feel like writing/ posting anything and everything in his/her profile. If something would happen, he/she will feel to post it on her profile rather than telling it to his/ closest friend. On the other hand if he/she has a rival in his real life , the rival can easily monitor his/her activites through these social networking websites and can trap him/her according to his needs.

So now its High time something is done regarding the same. A general awareness through news wouldnt reach that much. Once any one is addicted into something then they will not get the awareness things into their head that easily.

Eg: There are a number of awareness programme being conducted on the ill effects of smoking and drinking. Though the person involved into these habits come across these awareness programme, still they are in a position not to take it. Just because they are addicted to it .

Similarly one who is addicted to these social networking websites, they wont take the Alerts/ Awareness infos on the threats posed. So something has to be done here at this point. Any suggestions ??

[Quatrux]

I try to avoid all those social networks, for me facebook is just something like an address book, I just login when I need and I really don't care about anything else there, sometimes it maybe fun to look at some pictures like a spy of some old friends or class mates, but nothing more.I think a lot of people gave away their privacy using Internet, as when you send a CV to some Job, people can do a google search on you and get much more info about you and who you are, so it's also dangerous to do that, as Internet is like an archive usually :DI wish I would start using Internet quite anonymously from the beginning, maybe with my Internet name and location, different than my original, but using the Internet for over 14 years now, nothing can be changed, except that I use it much less Today, due to work, studies and etc. By less, I mean less on writing stuff, joining stuff and etc. Even though I use Internet daily

[princeofvegas]

I am on these social networks as well. I find privacy a really important issue, especially because I have 2 little children. Kleong said it right though, as long as you do not post any pictures that you are not worried about someone seeing then you have nothing to worry about. I personally think that the idea of photo sharing is an excellent idea. It has allowed me to share pictures of myself and my children with relatives all over the world. I remember before social networks we used to have to wait for them to with visit in their yearly visit so you could sit down and show them pictures. Now they can instantly view the pictures when you post them and provide their comments on them. I do have some pictures on my albums that a friends only, but they are only that way to give myself some control over who views them. If someone really wants my pictures bad enough to hack into a friends account and look at them and take them they more power to them. There is nothing in those pictures that can be incriminating.

Now on the other hand there are those photo sharing sites where women upload "very private" pictures for their boyfriends or lovers to look at. You can almost bet that there is going to be someone trying to hack that account. And I do not feel sorry for the people who get their pictures stolen from there. If they did not want those pictures to be stolen then they never should have put them on the internet and kept them private between themselves and their boyfriends.

[nirmaldaniel]

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And I do not feel sorry for the people who get their pictures stolen from there. If they did not want those pictures to be stolen then they never should have put them on the internet and kept them private between themselves and their boyfriends.

I totally agree with the above comment. When there are a number of safe and secure way to transfer a pic to the recipient, why do you choose all these social Networking sites ?? People choose this, Just to boast about. For example if they have say 50 friends to whom they wanted to share a pic, they can very well do it through e-mail instead of putting it in a social networking page.

All these social networking stuffs came to a peak when web 2.0 evolved. That is, everything in the web is interactive. Like you post a pic, some one comments on the same. Web 2.0 which is aimed in making things interactive actually didnt aim at these kinds of things. It aimed at something other than this like, Online ticket Booking etc. where every thing is made interactive. But i dont know whether it is fortunately or unfortunately these social networking websites came to a peak where every one got addicted to this. I do not condemn these things as bad. The only thing i worry about is that these things came to a peak but it failed to alert the public how dangerous it could be if it is not used properly.

Let me put it a little more clear with this regard. Just think, those are the good old days when online shopping was not into existence. If you want to buy something you walk to a shop pay liquid cash and get what you want. But as days passed by, as internet evolved, then it came something known as the "Online Shopping" Of course here while purchasing something the customers had to use so called "Credit Card" online.Once this was introduced every internet users were alerted of the various threats and various things which are of much importance when they start using this online shopping. This happened because it dealt with money .

On the other hand when Social Networking websites were introduced, none were told or alerted about the various drawbacks about the same .Every one saw it was looking good and they started to use it. Just because it did not deal with money. If every social networking sites would ask for credit card infromation then only people will take it seriously.

Now let me ask, isnt revealing things( personal pics/ personal information / sensitive information ) over the internet more than money ?? ?? Just because one dosent deal with money directly they take it for granted these social networking websites and without knowing the seriousness they start to use it ??

Let me throw a simple example. If some one wants to steal cash from your purse, he or she is waiting for the oppurtunity and is following you closely on these social networking websites. One week end You reveal that "I am going shopping alone !! " . Now that the one who wanted to steal cash from you got the sensitive information from your end via these social networking websites

So please, please find out some means through which people will get to know the seriousness !!

[anwiii]

i agree that people need to be informed of the possible threats of online social networking, but every post you have made(including your first one) intimates paranoia. your talking about people who will hack accounts for peoples pictures? no. sorry. then you go on to say that they will hack a friends account just to get to your personal pictures? no. sorry. that just doesn't happen for the most part. also, people can further protect themselves by keeping their friends lists private so an outsider doesn't know who your friends are or what accounts to hack.

it's true that there are stalkers out there and they will pay attention to your most recent staus messages. but these people aren't theifs. for the most part, it's people who already know you and the accounts you have online. not your typical thief when it's people you already know. so again. NO! it's paranoia.

if you have enemies online or offline, then maybe it's good to be paranoid.....but for the typical internet user, they don't have to concern themselves with all the BS that has been spoken about in this thread.

[nirmaldaniel]

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Paranoia is a thought process heavily influenced by anxiety or fear .

Let me tell you i am not afraid of these social networking stuffs. I am afraid that what might happen to people who are unaware of many things and still they use all these social networking.

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your talking about people who will hack accounts for peoples pictures? no.

I STRONGLY DISAGREE, Haven't you heard college guys saying, "I need to hack her password and check out her album" I have heard that during college if you havent .May be things are different in the place you live. May be in the place you live people hack only for money.

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it's true that there are stalkers out there and they will pay attention to your most recent staus messages. but these people aren't theifs.

I STRONGLY DISAGREE AGAIN !!!! . You dont get the meaning of a Thief. A thief neednt be some one who flicks money alone. reading the status messages, some thing may be which will be offensive to the victim apart from flicking money. I quoted that shopping thing as an EXAMPLE. If you say nothing can be done by getting to know the status message you are wrong. Because I myself have done something with that

[anwiii]

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I STRONGLY DISAGREE AGAIN !!!! . You dont get the meaning of a Thief. A thief neednt be some one who flicks money alone. reading the status messages, some thing may be which will be offensive to the victim apart from flicking money. I quoted that shopping thing as an EXAMPLE. If you say nothing can be done by getting to know the status message you are wrong. Because I myself have done something with that

you can strongly disagree all you want. just because there is locker room talk at a college doesn't mean someone is even going to attempt to hack an account. sure, things can be done when reading a status message, but like i said before, usually the ones reading the status messages of others actually know the person. so keep disagreeing, keep using all caps, put more exclamation marks. continue to use the word flick(whatever that means). but please, keep your paranoia to yourself. yea, it's good to inform people about the possibilities of dangers on the internet. i am a firm believer in that no matter how small, but i don't suggest what you have to be highly likely to most people who use the internet. in fact, there are a lot worse dangers to be worried about than a status message.

now what makes the status messages a security threat is the fact that there are friends of friends who can read them. that means on a site like facebook or myspace when people are adding 500-1000 people they don't know, someone might be inclined to stalk someone. especially if they like their picture. but hacking an account? very unlikely. i would be more concerned for the idiot who says they are going away on vacation for a week. if the theif is in the local area or state, then maybe the theif will be inclined to try to find out the house they live at through mutual friends. since they are already on their friends list, this person can pretend to be a long time friend who wants to mail a letter or even a phone number to get an address or use reverse lookup. that is most likely to happen before someone tries to hack an account of a person they don't even know. it's VERY unlikely.