Anti-social networking
The more we tell the world, the easier it is for crooks to use information in ways we never intended.
Published: 8/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Business
Have you ever received an intriguing message posted on your Facebook wall - presumably from one of your friends - asking you to click the link provided? Or an advertising testimonial on Twitter from your favourite football player?
Perhaps you have found a fake Facebook account with your name and profile picture. That happened to a Thai university professor shortly after the Japanese earthquake and visitors were tricked into believing that she was raising money for disaster relief.
Everyone these days enjoys using social networks, but the more we tell our friends - and the world - the more vulnerable we become to cybercrooks and scam artists. And now that businesses are increasingly using the likes of Facebook and Twitter for marketing, they too are becoming highly vulnerable to having their entire online presence compromised.
Identity theft is becoming a major danger for social network users, according to Kaspersky Lab, a Russian-based IT security and threat management company. For one thing, people don't always know their online friends in real life, and social networks do not usually verify the identities of users creating accounts.
Security experts say that "identity hijacking" involves a profile being created using the victim's real name, and then that person's real friends are infiltrated. The identity thieves cultivate their contacts and then threaten victims with the publication of embarrassing pictures or compromising comments. The only thing that will save their victims' virtual reputations is money.
A general user's information and picture offer a cybercriminal an easy point of entry to steal an identity and create a fake account, says Nakrop Niamnamtham, managing director of nForce Security Systems AP, an information security solution distributor.
"Social networks are a double-edged sword. In my own experience, I received negative reactions from my friends and later found that those friends had formed a bad impression based on messages and activities on my fake Facebook account," Mr Nakrop recalled.
In some cases criminals use the real name and photo of an attractive woman to create a fake account and lure men to transfer money. The real person has no idea what's going on.
Social networks are also becoming key distribution points for malware or malicious software, the recent Koobface worm that affected Facebook being a prime example, according to Kaspersky Lab.
This secretive worm sent several waves of private messages to Facebook users, announcing that new photos featuring them had been published online. Clicking on the link in the message infected the user's PC, enabling it to be controlled remotely by hackers.
The PC then becomes part of what's known as a botnet, a network of computers that is used to attack other networks or for sending spam. Koobface distributes itself via existing user accounts and their friend lists on social networks.
It does so by sending comments and messages that contain, for example, links to fake YouTube pages, inviting users to download the current version of Flash Player to view the video. Instead of adding video or Flash to their systems, however, the worm infects them.
Nopchai Tangthritham, a technical director of Symantec, the US-based security software vendor, says that the inherent trust we place in social networks, especially of messages coming from friends, makes it easy for attacks to succeed.
He said his company also found that hackers were using shortened web links to hide malware, especially on Twitter.
Mr Nakrob noted that most social networks allow a user to set different privacy settings for confirmed friends in contrast to public strangers. Facebook distinguishes three groups of visitors - direct friends, friends of friends, or everyone - which helps classify the level of information and photos to share with others.
But how many users are aware of and know how to adjust their privacy settings? Despite repeated warnings and heavy media coverage, most people never touch their Facebook settings after initially making a few clicks on the day they set up their accounts.
Third-party applications such as games and horoscopes will ask users' permission to access their detailed information, so before using any third-party app via a social network, one needs to check its authenticity.
"Even for such a little piece of information such as a birthday that you share on your social networking site, a bad guy can use this basic information for an answer to a security question to verify your credit card identity," Mr Nakrob said.
Because so many people now use social network sites at work, threats to corporate IT networks are growing.
While some companies have IT policies that explicitly regulate the use of sites such as Facebook or Twitter, few block employee access to social networking sites because some departments have legitimate needs to use those sites for marketing, sales and customer service.
Mr Nakrob suggested that all companies should set security policies for social networks. For instance, if an employee posts photos or information related to customers on a personal Facebook account, that information could be leaked to rivals or have even worse consequences.
Meanwhile, existing security firewalls are not keeping up with new types of applications, particularly those related to social networks, YouTube or Skype. This is leading to increased demand for next-generation firewalls to use in organisational security.
Some security vendors, including Palo Alto Networks Thailand, are providing next-generation firewalls that allow businesses to set controls on the use of social networking or limit it to authorised employees. For instance, they may allow viewing and replying but not posting video or documents on a wall. This could prevent the posting of inappropriate content that violates the law or risks leaks of trade secrets.
-----
SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS
FACEBOOK
Likejacking Cybercriminals create intriguing posts that exploit interest in seasonal events, celebrity news and even disasters.
Users who click the links inadvertently act as accomplices to the attacker because the malicious scripts automatically repost the links, images or videos on their contacts' walls. Popular version of this attack causes user profiles to "Like" a Facebook page without their consent
Rogue applications Cybercriminals use Facebook's open platform to applications for spam posts or phishing attacks
Attacks via chat Facebook's built-in chat feature makes cybercriminals spread malware and to promote phishing applications
TWITTER
Spammed Tweets Cybercriminals create compelling posts with links. Examples include promotions for free vouchers, job advertisements or testimonials for weight-loss products
Malware downloads Most popular tactic is the use of video-related posts, which lead create users to a fake YouTube page where they could download a malicious file
Twitter bots Use of Twitter to manage and control botnet zombies
MY THOUGHTS
This is getting scarier and scarier.
Showing posts with label social networking tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social networking tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
HOW NOT TO GET HACKED ON FACEBOOK
HOW NOT TO GET HACKED ON FACEBOOK
from the article 'Facebook Users: How Not to Get Hacked'
By Kimberly Weisul | May 10, 2011
There are plenty of things Facebook users, and others, can do to protect their personal information online. Consumer Reports recommends:
Keep tabs on your kids’ accounts. Some kids won’t ‘friend’ their parents, of course, but they just might fork over their user name and password. Other parents can keep up on their children’s online activities via siblings or other friends.
Use privacy controls. Consumer Reports found that one in five adult Facebook users don’t use privacy controls. Whenever Facebook gives you a choice, set the information to be visible only to your friends. Otherwise your profile picture, friends list, activities, and other info can be seen by anyone who does a public search on your name.
Turn off Instant Personalization. Instant personalization shares your location information with sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor (and the list is growing). The default setting for “instant personalization” is “on,” but you can turn it off.
Be careful with apps. In most cases, you can decide which information an app can see. Facebook says it doesn’t share identifiable information with advertisers, but using an app does make general information available.
Set a PIN number for your phone. Most smartphones allow you to set a four-digit PIN for your phone, but only about 20 percent of people-even those who store sensitive information on their phones-actually do this.
Protect your phone. The PIN is just the start. Many manufacturers offer over-the-air backup, remote phone locating, remote phone locking, and erasing of data and account info. You can also get software to lock your phone or erase data remotely. Turn off the phone’s GPS feature if you don’t need it.
MY THOUGHTS
I never liked the apps.
from the article 'Facebook Users: How Not to Get Hacked'
By Kimberly Weisul | May 10, 2011
There are plenty of things Facebook users, and others, can do to protect their personal information online. Consumer Reports recommends:
Keep tabs on your kids’ accounts. Some kids won’t ‘friend’ their parents, of course, but they just might fork over their user name and password. Other parents can keep up on their children’s online activities via siblings or other friends.
Use privacy controls. Consumer Reports found that one in five adult Facebook users don’t use privacy controls. Whenever Facebook gives you a choice, set the information to be visible only to your friends. Otherwise your profile picture, friends list, activities, and other info can be seen by anyone who does a public search on your name.
Turn off Instant Personalization. Instant personalization shares your location information with sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor (and the list is growing). The default setting for “instant personalization” is “on,” but you can turn it off.
Be careful with apps. In most cases, you can decide which information an app can see. Facebook says it doesn’t share identifiable information with advertisers, but using an app does make general information available.
Set a PIN number for your phone. Most smartphones allow you to set a four-digit PIN for your phone, but only about 20 percent of people-even those who store sensitive information on their phones-actually do this.
Protect your phone. The PIN is just the start. Many manufacturers offer over-the-air backup, remote phone locating, remote phone locking, and erasing of data and account info. You can also get software to lock your phone or erase data remotely. Turn off the phone’s GPS feature if you don’t need it.
MY THOUGHTS
I never liked the apps.
Monday, April 11, 2011
SOCIAL NETWORKING "FRENEMIES"
Social Networking Leads to "Frenemies" For Women
Author: Ayra Moore
Published: March 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm
So,you hear time and time again how “great” the social network is, right? Well, for some, it is.
A majority of women, however, have become quite disgusted with the “friends” they have collected on Facebook, finding them very bothersome at times.
According to an article posted on Networkworld.com, Eversave, a company dealing in coupons, recently conducted a survey centered on how social networking influences shopping and the use of deals. They got a lot more info than they expected apparently.
Woman, who still admit they communicate more frequently and readily thanks to social networking, are also complaining about their Facebook pals. The women are getting tired of seeing status updates from their newfound “frenemies” regarding personal complaints, praise for their children, grandchildren, political views and bragging about their lives in general.
The result, in my opinion, to these,very amusing, recent findings is simple: No matter what outlet women use to attempt to communicate, we will always find that the company of other women will grow annoying and tiresome if it lasts too long. What is the saying regarding “too much of a good thing”? It may very well do you harm. Women and their “frenemies” should take note.
Read more: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/social-networking-leads-to-frenemies-for/#ixzz1INa62MAn
MY THOUGHTS
What bothers me about Facebook is that you are 'friends' with people who are not really your friends. If you are, why would status updates about family annoy you? Why would you consider 'happy news' as 'bragging'? Why won't you want to know more about your 'friend' through their 'political views'?
My biggest question is - why are you on Facebook if things like these annoy you?
Author: Ayra Moore
Published: March 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm
So,you hear time and time again how “great” the social network is, right? Well, for some, it is.
A majority of women, however, have become quite disgusted with the “friends” they have collected on Facebook, finding them very bothersome at times.
According to an article posted on Networkworld.com, Eversave, a company dealing in coupons, recently conducted a survey centered on how social networking influences shopping and the use of deals. They got a lot more info than they expected apparently.
Woman, who still admit they communicate more frequently and readily thanks to social networking, are also complaining about their Facebook pals. The women are getting tired of seeing status updates from their newfound “frenemies” regarding personal complaints, praise for their children, grandchildren, political views and bragging about their lives in general.
The result, in my opinion, to these,very amusing, recent findings is simple: No matter what outlet women use to attempt to communicate, we will always find that the company of other women will grow annoying and tiresome if it lasts too long. What is the saying regarding “too much of a good thing”? It may very well do you harm. Women and their “frenemies” should take note.
Read more: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/social-networking-leads-to-frenemies-for/#ixzz1INa62MAn
MY THOUGHTS
What bothers me about Facebook is that you are 'friends' with people who are not really your friends. If you are, why would status updates about family annoy you? Why would you consider 'happy news' as 'bragging'? Why won't you want to know more about your 'friend' through their 'political views'?
My biggest question is - why are you on Facebook if things like these annoy you?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR KIDS
Top 3 Kid-safe Social Networks
By helle Hainer
Every Day Connected
When Rachel Sarah of Oakland, Calif., first heard about Club Penguin, a social networking site for kids, she had no idea what it was. "My daughter kept asking me if she could use it," recalls Sarah. Not sure whether her daughter, who's under 13, was too young to be on the Web, Sarah decided to check it out herself. "There aren't any ads, and the site seems really fun and innocent," says Sarah.
But how can you be sure a site is really what it seems? We’ve done the legwork for you and found the top three social networks for kids. Here’s how they keep kids entertained while making their safety a top priority:
CLUB PENGUIN
Kids are given a penguin avatar that can interact with the other penguins on the site, play games and earn coins to buy accessories for their penguin or furniture for their igloo. Membership is $5.95 per month for premium access, which allows kids to customize their penguins.
Age group: 8 to 14, although older kids can join too. Parents register kids who are under 13.
What kids love: The penguins are simple and cute. Kids can get creative when customizing the look of their penguin and igloo, and meet other penguin friends for coffee or tea.
Privacy and safety features: Parents can choose between the Standard Safe-Chat, which allows kids to type their own chat messages, or Ultimate Safe-Chat, which restricts them to prewritten words or phrases, like "Hello" or "What's up?" "Club Penguin has really strong filters, so you won't need to worry about kids swearing or going crazy," says Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online.
MY THOUGHTS
I hope moms and dads with kids under 13 would check out these sites.
By helle Hainer
Every Day Connected
When Rachel Sarah of Oakland, Calif., first heard about Club Penguin, a social networking site for kids, she had no idea what it was. "My daughter kept asking me if she could use it," recalls Sarah. Not sure whether her daughter, who's under 13, was too young to be on the Web, Sarah decided to check it out herself. "There aren't any ads, and the site seems really fun and innocent," says Sarah.
But how can you be sure a site is really what it seems? We’ve done the legwork for you and found the top three social networks for kids. Here’s how they keep kids entertained while making their safety a top priority:
CLUB PENGUIN
Kids are given a penguin avatar that can interact with the other penguins on the site, play games and earn coins to buy accessories for their penguin or furniture for their igloo. Membership is $5.95 per month for premium access, which allows kids to customize their penguins.
Age group: 8 to 14, although older kids can join too. Parents register kids who are under 13.
What kids love: The penguins are simple and cute. Kids can get creative when customizing the look of their penguin and igloo, and meet other penguin friends for coffee or tea.
Privacy and safety features: Parents can choose between the Standard Safe-Chat, which allows kids to type their own chat messages, or Ultimate Safe-Chat, which restricts them to prewritten words or phrases, like "Hello" or "What's up?" "Club Penguin has really strong filters, so you won't need to worry about kids swearing or going crazy," says Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online.
MY THOUGHTS
I hope moms and dads with kids under 13 would check out these sites.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
CAN YOU SAVE THROUGH FACEBOOK?
Can Facebook Help You Spend Less?
How to use social networking to find great fashion and beauty deals
Lynn Strong ON Mar 17, 2011 at 11:52PM
www.ivillage.com
It's wild how social media sites like Facebook have taken over the world, isn't it? Everybody's online these days, and companies everywhere are figuring out how they can use Facebook to promote their businesses and make more money. That makes it high time to follow their lead and start using Facebook to your own advantage to actually save money on what you buy. It can be done!
Now that more and more fashion brands are creating Facebook pages, all you really have to do is “Like” a brand's page and you'll have instant access to special sale alerts, coupon codes, insider deals, and more. You'll also be the first to learn about new products or special store-only events. Liking a page is like gaining access to a special members-only fan club for a particular clothing or beauty line. What could be better?
If you're not convinced, check out a few Facebook promotions I came across this week:
Sample Saturdays: Simply by Liking Nordstrom Beauty's page, you'll be part of Sample Saturdays. Each Friday one product sample is revealed and the sample is available in the cosmetics and fragrance departments in all Nordstrom stores the following day, exclusive to Facebook (and Twitter) followers.
Drugstore.com: I was surprised to learn that Drugstore.com is on Facebook offering specials to shoppers -- everything from free shipping (no matter how much you ordered) to discounts on gift cards and more -- just for Liking the page.
For Shoe Lovers: You'll also have access to flash sales and limited-time-only offers. Via Spiga (amazing shoes!), which posts different contests and deals on Facebook frequently, this week posted a special spring sale coupon code for 20 percent off all purchases. Only Facebook fans got the memo!
It takes just a few seconds to find your favorite brands on Facebook and become a fan of their pages -- and the savings will really add up. Give it a try!
MY THOUGHTS
Worth a try? Maybe. Maybe not. What have you got to lose?
How to use social networking to find great fashion and beauty deals
Lynn Strong ON Mar 17, 2011 at 11:52PM
www.ivillage.com
It's wild how social media sites like Facebook have taken over the world, isn't it? Everybody's online these days, and companies everywhere are figuring out how they can use Facebook to promote their businesses and make more money. That makes it high time to follow their lead and start using Facebook to your own advantage to actually save money on what you buy. It can be done!
Now that more and more fashion brands are creating Facebook pages, all you really have to do is “Like” a brand's page and you'll have instant access to special sale alerts, coupon codes, insider deals, and more. You'll also be the first to learn about new products or special store-only events. Liking a page is like gaining access to a special members-only fan club for a particular clothing or beauty line. What could be better?
If you're not convinced, check out a few Facebook promotions I came across this week:
Sample Saturdays: Simply by Liking Nordstrom Beauty's page, you'll be part of Sample Saturdays. Each Friday one product sample is revealed and the sample is available in the cosmetics and fragrance departments in all Nordstrom stores the following day, exclusive to Facebook (and Twitter) followers.
Drugstore.com: I was surprised to learn that Drugstore.com is on Facebook offering specials to shoppers -- everything from free shipping (no matter how much you ordered) to discounts on gift cards and more -- just for Liking the page.
For Shoe Lovers: You'll also have access to flash sales and limited-time-only offers. Via Spiga (amazing shoes!), which posts different contests and deals on Facebook frequently, this week posted a special spring sale coupon code for 20 percent off all purchases. Only Facebook fans got the memo!
It takes just a few seconds to find your favorite brands on Facebook and become a fan of their pages -- and the savings will really add up. Give it a try!
MY THOUGHTS
Worth a try? Maybe. Maybe not. What have you got to lose?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES FOR PARENTS
Social Networks For Parents: Some of the best
January 21, 2011 | Debbie Turner
The world of social networking is increasingly commonplace and although it has great benefits it’s fair to say some negative points have also been made. For example recently we were told how it’s now natural for many parents and their teens to extend their relationship on Facebook and it can be a valuable line of communication.
Earlier today though, we also told of a Facebook scam that targets children. As a parent, it can sometimes seem like a minefield to negotiate the right path to bring up our children but online resources can be extremely useful and there are some great social networks, specifically for parents. Sarah Kessler over on Mashable has been doing some research into parenting social networks and has 6 suggestions of valuable sites.
It’s fair to say that no matter how good the advice, a good site should also have an active community and Cafémom received particular praise for this. Users can make journal entries and blog posts and the discussion isn’t always based around parenting but forums cover other topics too. You can also introduce yourself to other moms and of course find the usual advice on potty training, relationships, baby names and much, much more.
For those who wonder where the parenting sites are that don’t revolve around moms you might like Minti, which has a vast amount of information but not so much in the way of an active community. However there’s plenty of archived advice from other parents and users are encouraged to write blog posts. Take a look at the Mashable link above to see all the other ideas suggested.
You may also be interested in an article on The Merrimack Journal by Wendy Thomas that tells of one parent group that uses Facebook as a tool to provide local parents with information, advice and resources in an attempt to assist them to be a positive influence for their kids.
Have you tried any of the Mashable suggestions for social networks for parents or have you any others that you’d like to suggest to our readers? Why not send us your comments to let us know.
MY THOUGHTS
moms, check out the Cafemom site. don't bother about Minti. not available in our country.
January 21, 2011 | Debbie Turner
The world of social networking is increasingly commonplace and although it has great benefits it’s fair to say some negative points have also been made. For example recently we were told how it’s now natural for many parents and their teens to extend their relationship on Facebook and it can be a valuable line of communication.
Earlier today though, we also told of a Facebook scam that targets children. As a parent, it can sometimes seem like a minefield to negotiate the right path to bring up our children but online resources can be extremely useful and there are some great social networks, specifically for parents. Sarah Kessler over on Mashable has been doing some research into parenting social networks and has 6 suggestions of valuable sites.
It’s fair to say that no matter how good the advice, a good site should also have an active community and Cafémom received particular praise for this. Users can make journal entries and blog posts and the discussion isn’t always based around parenting but forums cover other topics too. You can also introduce yourself to other moms and of course find the usual advice on potty training, relationships, baby names and much, much more.
For those who wonder where the parenting sites are that don’t revolve around moms you might like Minti, which has a vast amount of information but not so much in the way of an active community. However there’s plenty of archived advice from other parents and users are encouraged to write blog posts. Take a look at the Mashable link above to see all the other ideas suggested.
You may also be interested in an article on The Merrimack Journal by Wendy Thomas that tells of one parent group that uses Facebook as a tool to provide local parents with information, advice and resources in an attempt to assist them to be a positive influence for their kids.
Have you tried any of the Mashable suggestions for social networks for parents or have you any others that you’d like to suggest to our readers? Why not send us your comments to let us know.
MY THOUGHTS
moms, check out the Cafemom site. don't bother about Minti. not available in our country.
Monday, February 7, 2011
HOW SECURED IS FACEBOOK
Facebook defends security strategy
Shy social network responds to criticism
By John Leyden • Get more from this author
Posted in Malware, 21st January 2011 16:01 GMT
Analysis Facebook has defended its record in thwarting rogue applications and other security in the face of criticism from security firms that it ought to adopt tighter application controls.
The dominant social network disputes findings from a threat report by UK-based net security firm Sophos, released earlier this week, that spam, malware and other attacks have become more effective against Facebook users over the last year.
Facebook reckons the opposite is true while disputing the methodology adopted by Sophos which it said looked, for example, at the volume of spam sent to Facebook users instead of the volume that reached their in-boxes.
Facebook said: "If your spam filter catches all the spam, does it matter that your filter caught 10 per cent more?"
The social networking site reckons less than three per cent of communications on Facebook are spam, compared to industry estimates that email spam makes up 90 per cent of all electronic messages. The implication is that Sophos is focusing on the wrong problem.
Unfriending rogues
Survey scams have become an almost daily occurrence on Facebook over recent months. Typically they use the lure of an application that a potential victim's friend has been tricked into installing, such as a 'Dislike' button or a link to shocking (invariably bogus) news about a celebrity.
Instead of getting the promised content, victims are invited to navigate their way through a thicket of time-wasting surveys. Scammers earn a kick-back for each victim as affiliates of unethical marketing firms.
More ambitious (and lucrative) scams attempt to trick victims into supplying their mobile number, before signing up to a premium rate text messaging service of questionable utility.
The scams take advantage of human stupidity rather than web security vulnerabilities. Both Sophos and Facebook agree that user education is part of the solution, but the two are split on whether Facebook itself could do more to tighten up its controls on how applications are released onto its platform.
In a statement responding to Sophos' report, Facebook said it has plenty of controls already that limit access to information.
We have built extensive controls into the product, so that now when you add an application it only gets access to very limited data and the user must approve each additional type of data (so we do more than anyone else to educate users about passage of data, and force disclosure and user consent for each category beyond the basics).
We have a dedicated team that does robust review of all third party applications, using a risk based approach. So, that means that we first look at velocity/number of users/types of data shared, and prioritise. This ensures that the team is focused on addressing the biggest risks, rather than just doing a cursory review at the time that an app is first launched.
We make sure that we act swiftly to remove/sanction potentially bad applications before they gain access to data, and involve law enforcement and file civil actions if there is a problem.
Down with this sort of thing
Facebook said it is constantly improving the level of account protection offered to users, citing its introduction of one-time passwords back in October 2010, a development designed to make it safer for users to use public computers to access the service.
The social network goes on to list its user education programmes, which are geared to improving the security awareness levels of users.
These initiatives include updating the 3.6 million people who have liked the Facebook Security Page, hundreds of thousands of which have taken our "Stop. Think. Connect." quiz on the Page, which we developed with National Cyber Security Alliance and the Anti-Phishing Working Group; as well as the education we do through the product, for example, when we detect that an account is compromised by phishing or malware, we put the owner through a remediation/education process that includes a free McAfee virus scan.
When a person clicks on a link that we can't verify, or that we think might be suspicious, we pop an interstitial warning.
We put these points to Sophos, which said it stood by the main findings of its original report, and argued that the social network could and should do more to improve the security of its users.
"I definitely feel that Facebook could be doing more to both better secure their users, and to ensure that privacy is treated as a higher priority," Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, told El Reg.
Facebook may talk a good game but a quick search (viewable only if logged into Facebook and safe providing you don't click on the links) shows hundreds of victims have installed a rogue app that falsely promises the ability to "see who has viewed your profile".
Facebook ought to have someone searching for such scams and stamping them out, something that isn't happening as yet. "Often I see these scams spreading for days on end, with no obvious action taken by Facebook," Cluley said.
Careful now
According to Sophos, the social network could employ a round-the-clock security response team. Some have suggested Apple-style pre-approval of apps would drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the volume of crud circulating on Facebook. However, Cluley said such an approach was hard to apply to Facebook's platform.
"Pre-approval of apps is tricky, because they are web-based and contain content that is not hosted on Facebook's own servers," Cluley explained. "In other words, the bad guys could change it any time - turning a good app into a rogue one."
What might work better is some form of white-listing or restricting the ability to access sensitive data to already trusted developers, Cluley explained.
"Each app could be submitted for profiling to Facebook, who would create a matrix of what data it requested to access from the user, and which webpages it uses content from. If these changed at any point then the app would no longer be approved, and be sent back to Facebook's sinbin team for checking.
"Better than that would be for Facebook to only allow apps that came from approved developers to access sensitive information or post to users' walls."
Cluley said Facebook introduced an optional app verification program in November 2008, only to quietly kill it off a year later.
Facebook ought to consider reviving the program, said Cluley. "If developers had to pay to become official developers for the Facebook platform, and if not being an official developer meant you weren't able to hit Facebook users, then we'd see an instant dramatic drop in the attacks."
Sophos suggested that Facebook ought to be more proactive in using its security page as an early warning system on scams, as part of a broader program targeted at curtailing rogue apps and other security threats.
"There's a sliding scale of things that Facebook could do to counter the problem of rogue apps - ranging from faster response to stricter conditions about who and who can't write Facebook applications," Cluley concluded. "What's clear is that their current approach isn't working." ®
MY THOUGHTS
we have a choice, as always. if we're so heated up about our security and privacy there are, at least, 2 things we can do. one is to stop using facebook altogether.or be a responsible user.
Shy social network responds to criticism
By John Leyden • Get more from this author
Posted in Malware, 21st January 2011 16:01 GMT
Analysis Facebook has defended its record in thwarting rogue applications and other security in the face of criticism from security firms that it ought to adopt tighter application controls.
The dominant social network disputes findings from a threat report by UK-based net security firm Sophos, released earlier this week, that spam, malware and other attacks have become more effective against Facebook users over the last year.
Facebook reckons the opposite is true while disputing the methodology adopted by Sophos which it said looked, for example, at the volume of spam sent to Facebook users instead of the volume that reached their in-boxes.
Facebook said: "If your spam filter catches all the spam, does it matter that your filter caught 10 per cent more?"
The social networking site reckons less than three per cent of communications on Facebook are spam, compared to industry estimates that email spam makes up 90 per cent of all electronic messages. The implication is that Sophos is focusing on the wrong problem.
Unfriending rogues
Survey scams have become an almost daily occurrence on Facebook over recent months. Typically they use the lure of an application that a potential victim's friend has been tricked into installing, such as a 'Dislike' button or a link to shocking (invariably bogus) news about a celebrity.
Instead of getting the promised content, victims are invited to navigate their way through a thicket of time-wasting surveys. Scammers earn a kick-back for each victim as affiliates of unethical marketing firms.
More ambitious (and lucrative) scams attempt to trick victims into supplying their mobile number, before signing up to a premium rate text messaging service of questionable utility.
The scams take advantage of human stupidity rather than web security vulnerabilities. Both Sophos and Facebook agree that user education is part of the solution, but the two are split on whether Facebook itself could do more to tighten up its controls on how applications are released onto its platform.
In a statement responding to Sophos' report, Facebook said it has plenty of controls already that limit access to information.
We have built extensive controls into the product, so that now when you add an application it only gets access to very limited data and the user must approve each additional type of data (so we do more than anyone else to educate users about passage of data, and force disclosure and user consent for each category beyond the basics).
We have a dedicated team that does robust review of all third party applications, using a risk based approach. So, that means that we first look at velocity/number of users/types of data shared, and prioritise. This ensures that the team is focused on addressing the biggest risks, rather than just doing a cursory review at the time that an app is first launched.
We make sure that we act swiftly to remove/sanction potentially bad applications before they gain access to data, and involve law enforcement and file civil actions if there is a problem.
Down with this sort of thing
Facebook said it is constantly improving the level of account protection offered to users, citing its introduction of one-time passwords back in October 2010, a development designed to make it safer for users to use public computers to access the service.
The social network goes on to list its user education programmes, which are geared to improving the security awareness levels of users.
These initiatives include updating the 3.6 million people who have liked the Facebook Security Page, hundreds of thousands of which have taken our "Stop. Think. Connect." quiz on the Page, which we developed with National Cyber Security Alliance and the Anti-Phishing Working Group; as well as the education we do through the product, for example, when we detect that an account is compromised by phishing or malware, we put the owner through a remediation/education process that includes a free McAfee virus scan.
When a person clicks on a link that we can't verify, or that we think might be suspicious, we pop an interstitial warning.
We put these points to Sophos, which said it stood by the main findings of its original report, and argued that the social network could and should do more to improve the security of its users.
"I definitely feel that Facebook could be doing more to both better secure their users, and to ensure that privacy is treated as a higher priority," Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, told El Reg.
Facebook may talk a good game but a quick search (viewable only if logged into Facebook and safe providing you don't click on the links) shows hundreds of victims have installed a rogue app that falsely promises the ability to "see who has viewed your profile".
Facebook ought to have someone searching for such scams and stamping them out, something that isn't happening as yet. "Often I see these scams spreading for days on end, with no obvious action taken by Facebook," Cluley said.
Careful now
According to Sophos, the social network could employ a round-the-clock security response team. Some have suggested Apple-style pre-approval of apps would drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the volume of crud circulating on Facebook. However, Cluley said such an approach was hard to apply to Facebook's platform.
"Pre-approval of apps is tricky, because they are web-based and contain content that is not hosted on Facebook's own servers," Cluley explained. "In other words, the bad guys could change it any time - turning a good app into a rogue one."
What might work better is some form of white-listing or restricting the ability to access sensitive data to already trusted developers, Cluley explained.
"Each app could be submitted for profiling to Facebook, who would create a matrix of what data it requested to access from the user, and which webpages it uses content from. If these changed at any point then the app would no longer be approved, and be sent back to Facebook's sinbin team for checking.
"Better than that would be for Facebook to only allow apps that came from approved developers to access sensitive information or post to users' walls."
Cluley said Facebook introduced an optional app verification program in November 2008, only to quietly kill it off a year later.
Facebook ought to consider reviving the program, said Cluley. "If developers had to pay to become official developers for the Facebook platform, and if not being an official developer meant you weren't able to hit Facebook users, then we'd see an instant dramatic drop in the attacks."
Sophos suggested that Facebook ought to be more proactive in using its security page as an early warning system on scams, as part of a broader program targeted at curtailing rogue apps and other security threats.
"There's a sliding scale of things that Facebook could do to counter the problem of rogue apps - ranging from faster response to stricter conditions about who and who can't write Facebook applications," Cluley concluded. "What's clear is that their current approach isn't working." ®
MY THOUGHTS
we have a choice, as always. if we're so heated up about our security and privacy there are, at least, 2 things we can do. one is to stop using facebook altogether.or be a responsible user.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
NEW LAW IN GERMANY TO STOP CHECKING FACEBOOK
New Law to Stop Companies from Checking Facebook Pages in Germany
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,713240,00.html
Good news for jobseekers who like to brag about their drinking exploits on Facebook: A new law in Germany will stop bosses from checking out potential hires on social networking sites. They will, however, still be allowed to google applicants.
Lying about qualifications. Alcohol and drug use. Racist comments. These are just some of the reasons why potential bosses reject job applicants after looking at their Facebook profiles.
According to a 2009 survey commissioned by the website CareerBuilder, some 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates. And some 35 percent of those employers had rejected candidates based on what they found there, such as inappropriate photos, insulting comments about previous employers or boasts about their drug use.
But those Facebook users hoping to apply for a job in Germany should pause for a moment before they hit the "deactivate account" button. The government has drafted a new law which will prevent employers from looking at a job applicant's pages on social networking sites during the hiring process.
According to reports in the Monday editions of the Die Welt and Süddeutsche Zeitung newspapers, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has drafted a new law on data privacy for employees which will radically restrict the information bosses can legally collect. The draft law, which is the result of months of negotiations between the different parties in Germany's coalition government, is set to be approved by the German cabinet on Wednesday, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Although the new law will reportedly prevent potential bosses from checking out a candidate's Facebook page, it will allow them to look at sites that are expressly intended to help people sell themselves to future employers, such as the business-oriented social networking site LinkedIn. Information about the candidate that is generally available on the Internet is also fair game. In other words, employers are allowed to google potential hires. Companies may not be allowed to use information if it is too old or if the candidate has no control over it, however.
Toilets to Be Off-Limits
The draft legislation also covers the issue of companies spying on employees. According to Die Welt, the law will expressly forbid firms from video surveillance of workers in "personal" locations such as bathrooms, changing rooms and break rooms. Video cameras will only be permitted in certain places where they are justified, such as entrance areas, and staff will have to be made aware of their presence.
Similarly, companies will only be able to monitor employees' telephone calls and e-mails under certain conditions, and firms will be obliged to inform their staff about such eavesdropping.
The new law is partially a reaction to a number of recent scandals in Germany involving management spying on staff. In 2008, it was revealed that the discount retail chain Lidl had spied on employees in the toilet and had collected information on their private lives. National railway Deutsche Bahn and telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom were also involved in cases relating to surveillance of workers.
Online data privacy is increasingly becoming a hot-button issue in Germany. The government is currently also working on legislation to deal with issues relating to Google's Street View service, which is highly controversial in the country because of concerns it could violate individuals' privacy.
dgs
MY THOUGHTS
i think the best way to deal with privacy is to keep it. zip it. the less private matters you share, the more privacy you keep. it pays to be discreet and discriminating when sharing. especially about your woes about other people. go ahead and share the fun times, the good things. the not-so-good should be kept private. i should remind myself. all the time.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,713240,00.html
Good news for jobseekers who like to brag about their drinking exploits on Facebook: A new law in Germany will stop bosses from checking out potential hires on social networking sites. They will, however, still be allowed to google applicants.
Lying about qualifications. Alcohol and drug use. Racist comments. These are just some of the reasons why potential bosses reject job applicants after looking at their Facebook profiles.
According to a 2009 survey commissioned by the website CareerBuilder, some 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates. And some 35 percent of those employers had rejected candidates based on what they found there, such as inappropriate photos, insulting comments about previous employers or boasts about their drug use.
But those Facebook users hoping to apply for a job in Germany should pause for a moment before they hit the "deactivate account" button. The government has drafted a new law which will prevent employers from looking at a job applicant's pages on social networking sites during the hiring process.
According to reports in the Monday editions of the Die Welt and Süddeutsche Zeitung newspapers, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has drafted a new law on data privacy for employees which will radically restrict the information bosses can legally collect. The draft law, which is the result of months of negotiations between the different parties in Germany's coalition government, is set to be approved by the German cabinet on Wednesday, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Although the new law will reportedly prevent potential bosses from checking out a candidate's Facebook page, it will allow them to look at sites that are expressly intended to help people sell themselves to future employers, such as the business-oriented social networking site LinkedIn. Information about the candidate that is generally available on the Internet is also fair game. In other words, employers are allowed to google potential hires. Companies may not be allowed to use information if it is too old or if the candidate has no control over it, however.
Toilets to Be Off-Limits
The draft legislation also covers the issue of companies spying on employees. According to Die Welt, the law will expressly forbid firms from video surveillance of workers in "personal" locations such as bathrooms, changing rooms and break rooms. Video cameras will only be permitted in certain places where they are justified, such as entrance areas, and staff will have to be made aware of their presence.
Similarly, companies will only be able to monitor employees' telephone calls and e-mails under certain conditions, and firms will be obliged to inform their staff about such eavesdropping.
The new law is partially a reaction to a number of recent scandals in Germany involving management spying on staff. In 2008, it was revealed that the discount retail chain Lidl had spied on employees in the toilet and had collected information on their private lives. National railway Deutsche Bahn and telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom were also involved in cases relating to surveillance of workers.
Online data privacy is increasingly becoming a hot-button issue in Germany. The government is currently also working on legislation to deal with issues relating to Google's Street View service, which is highly controversial in the country because of concerns it could violate individuals' privacy.
dgs
MY THOUGHTS
i think the best way to deal with privacy is to keep it. zip it. the less private matters you share, the more privacy you keep. it pays to be discreet and discriminating when sharing. especially about your woes about other people. go ahead and share the fun times, the good things. the not-so-good should be kept private. i should remind myself. all the time.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
DON'T GET FIRED BECAUSE OF FACEBOOK
Yes, You Should Be Fired For That Facebook Post. (No Matter What the Feds Say Next Week)
By Suzanne Lucas | January 21, 2011
Facebook is a tool used by teenagers to torment each other and for adults to complain about their bosses, right? Except that your rude commment about your boss or your coworker, or your inapproriate comments about stupid stuff you did could land you on the curb.
Right now the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is preparing to hear a case where an employee was fired after criticizing her boss on Facebook. (Jon Hyman has a round up of information on this union firing.) But, the NLRB deals largely (although not exclusively) with union employees, who are definitely not “at will” employees, but are under contract.
I still think you should be careful.
I hear the screeching about free speech right now. Well, yes, you have the right to free speech, but I also believe that companies should have the right to terminate people who use that speech to denigrate the company. Free speech, not free from consequences speech. (And remember, it’s only government suppression of speech that is illegal.) Most employees in the United States are at will employees, which means that there is no contract of employment and either party can end it for any or no reason, as long as the reason isn’t an illegal one. For instance, you can’t fire an employee because she’s pregnant, but you can fire a pregnant employee, as long as the pregnancy isn’t the reason.
So, why am I in favor of companies being able to terminate an employee for online behavior? (These things, of course, aren’t limited to Facebook. Myspace, Twitter, and blogs are all good candidates for firing). Here are 3 Reasons.
1. Easy firing=easy hiring. I want companies to hire people. In fact, my fondest wish is that all my readers who are searching for jobs find one this year. The more restrictions government places on terminating employees, the more hesitant companies are to hire new people.
2. Bad judgment isn’t limited to online behavior. Companies need employees they can trust to make good decisions. If you lack the critical thinking skills to say, “Hmmm, if I post that my boss is a jerk, my boss just might find out about it,” then you probably lack the critical thinking skills to do your job. Yes, people vent. But the internet is not private. And anyone who thinks they can trust all their 476 friends to keep something quiet isn’t someone I want on my staff.
3. Companies should be able to presume loyalty. I know, I know, your company doesn’t care much about your career and they have no problem firing you, so why should you care about them? Because they pay you to care about them. In a pre-internet case where Delta airline employee was fired over a letter to the editor, “[t]he court in that case held that there ‘”is an implied duty of loyalty, with regard to public communications, that employees owe to their employers.’ Stating that Mr. Marsh violated this implied duty of loyalty by publicly disparaging Delta, the court found that his termination was just.” We forbid employees from giving information to the competitor, which would damage the company, so why not forbid employees from posting information that would hurt the company? The exception to this is when the company is engaging in illegal activity. Then employees should speak out and should be afforded whistleblower protection.
However, I also think that bosses should stay off their employees’ and candidates’ Facebook pages. Why? Because it opens up whole cans of fire-breathing worms. And, once those cans are open, the worms have no interest in going back in. Here’s why:
1. There are things you don’t want to know. Honestly and truly, there are things out there about your employees that you don’t want to know. Even though you can legally fire people easily, few companies allow you to actually do that. And there are lots of unemployed lawyers who would be happy to take your employee’s case.
2. Some information cannot be considered. Yes, you know the gender, age, race, national origin and, frequently, religion and sexual orientation of your employees. But, you can’t make decisions based on this information, so don’t browse Facebook looking for it. Wonder if Jim is gay? What about that candidate? She looked Jewish. Hmmmm. Seriously, even though you wouldn’t make a decision based on protected class information, doesn’t mean you won’t have to defend against it. If you don’t know, your defense is much easier.
3. Your employees are not your friends. I know, you’re a great boss and everyone loves you, but remember they love you because you are paying them. Please keep those worlds separate. Don’t try to “friend” your employees on Facebook, and don’t follow their personal blogs. (If they write career based ones, that’s a different story.) The Evil HR Lady Rule of Work Relationships is that when you are with people from the office you are at the office. Please don’t turn Facebook into the office. (And for heaven’s sake, don’t friend one or two members of your staff, but not the rest. Gah.)
4. One bad statement or questionable picture does not mean a person is a bad employee. We all make mistakes and things can be taken out of context as well. You cannot control it if your “friends” post pictures of you from 10 years ago. Don’t punish your 30 year old employees for something they did at 18.
Right now, I think both employees and employers should use caution when approaching social media at work. Companies need policies. And everyone should stop acting like they are in Junior High. It was bad enough the first time.
MY THOUGHTS
of course a boss and her staff can be friends. they just need to draw clear lines between professional and personal. it can be tricky. but not impossible. as for FB, i think any attack on any person should not be made public. and yes, i'm all for firing someone who would say something bad about the company. that's normally in the rules of conduct.
By Suzanne Lucas | January 21, 2011
Facebook is a tool used by teenagers to torment each other and for adults to complain about their bosses, right? Except that your rude commment about your boss or your coworker, or your inapproriate comments about stupid stuff you did could land you on the curb.
Right now the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is preparing to hear a case where an employee was fired after criticizing her boss on Facebook. (Jon Hyman has a round up of information on this union firing.) But, the NLRB deals largely (although not exclusively) with union employees, who are definitely not “at will” employees, but are under contract.
I still think you should be careful.
I hear the screeching about free speech right now. Well, yes, you have the right to free speech, but I also believe that companies should have the right to terminate people who use that speech to denigrate the company. Free speech, not free from consequences speech. (And remember, it’s only government suppression of speech that is illegal.) Most employees in the United States are at will employees, which means that there is no contract of employment and either party can end it for any or no reason, as long as the reason isn’t an illegal one. For instance, you can’t fire an employee because she’s pregnant, but you can fire a pregnant employee, as long as the pregnancy isn’t the reason.
So, why am I in favor of companies being able to terminate an employee for online behavior? (These things, of course, aren’t limited to Facebook. Myspace, Twitter, and blogs are all good candidates for firing). Here are 3 Reasons.
1. Easy firing=easy hiring. I want companies to hire people. In fact, my fondest wish is that all my readers who are searching for jobs find one this year. The more restrictions government places on terminating employees, the more hesitant companies are to hire new people.
2. Bad judgment isn’t limited to online behavior. Companies need employees they can trust to make good decisions. If you lack the critical thinking skills to say, “Hmmm, if I post that my boss is a jerk, my boss just might find out about it,” then you probably lack the critical thinking skills to do your job. Yes, people vent. But the internet is not private. And anyone who thinks they can trust all their 476 friends to keep something quiet isn’t someone I want on my staff.
3. Companies should be able to presume loyalty. I know, I know, your company doesn’t care much about your career and they have no problem firing you, so why should you care about them? Because they pay you to care about them. In a pre-internet case where Delta airline employee was fired over a letter to the editor, “[t]he court in that case held that there ‘”is an implied duty of loyalty, with regard to public communications, that employees owe to their employers.’ Stating that Mr. Marsh violated this implied duty of loyalty by publicly disparaging Delta, the court found that his termination was just.” We forbid employees from giving information to the competitor, which would damage the company, so why not forbid employees from posting information that would hurt the company? The exception to this is when the company is engaging in illegal activity. Then employees should speak out and should be afforded whistleblower protection.
However, I also think that bosses should stay off their employees’ and candidates’ Facebook pages. Why? Because it opens up whole cans of fire-breathing worms. And, once those cans are open, the worms have no interest in going back in. Here’s why:
1. There are things you don’t want to know. Honestly and truly, there are things out there about your employees that you don’t want to know. Even though you can legally fire people easily, few companies allow you to actually do that. And there are lots of unemployed lawyers who would be happy to take your employee’s case.
2. Some information cannot be considered. Yes, you know the gender, age, race, national origin and, frequently, religion and sexual orientation of your employees. But, you can’t make decisions based on this information, so don’t browse Facebook looking for it. Wonder if Jim is gay? What about that candidate? She looked Jewish. Hmmmm. Seriously, even though you wouldn’t make a decision based on protected class information, doesn’t mean you won’t have to defend against it. If you don’t know, your defense is much easier.
3. Your employees are not your friends. I know, you’re a great boss and everyone loves you, but remember they love you because you are paying them. Please keep those worlds separate. Don’t try to “friend” your employees on Facebook, and don’t follow their personal blogs. (If they write career based ones, that’s a different story.) The Evil HR Lady Rule of Work Relationships is that when you are with people from the office you are at the office. Please don’t turn Facebook into the office. (And for heaven’s sake, don’t friend one or two members of your staff, but not the rest. Gah.)
4. One bad statement or questionable picture does not mean a person is a bad employee. We all make mistakes and things can be taken out of context as well. You cannot control it if your “friends” post pictures of you from 10 years ago. Don’t punish your 30 year old employees for something they did at 18.
Right now, I think both employees and employers should use caution when approaching social media at work. Companies need policies. And everyone should stop acting like they are in Junior High. It was bad enough the first time.
MY THOUGHTS
of course a boss and her staff can be friends. they just need to draw clear lines between professional and personal. it can be tricky. but not impossible. as for FB, i think any attack on any person should not be made public. and yes, i'm all for firing someone who would say something bad about the company. that's normally in the rules of conduct.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
PARENTS' GUIDE TO FACEBOOK
A Parents' Guide to Facebook Released
Posted 11/08/2010 at 7:00am | by Paul Lilly
Worried your teenager might be misusing Facebook and sharing too much information with the world? ConnectSafely.org and the iKeepSafe Coalition want to help and have jointly released "A Parents' Guide to Facebook," a 35-page booklet and online resource designed to help parents show their teens how to optimize their privacy and safety on the world's largest social networking site.
"Many of our recommendations are stricter than Facebook's default settings for teens but, fortunately, Facebook provides excellent tools for further customization. This booklet helps parents and teens customize those tools fo teen-appropriate safety, privacy, and reputation protection," said ConnectSafely co-director Larry Magid.
The guide offers up step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and parenting points on safety and privacy controls, and covers both cell phone and PC-based access.
Guide (PDF)
At-a-Glance chart
http://www.connectsafely.org/Safety-Advice-Articles/facebook-privacy-chart-for-teens.html
MY THOUGHTS
it's quite a good guide. and it's downloadable. for free. click here for the guide.
Posted 11/08/2010 at 7:00am | by Paul Lilly
Worried your teenager might be misusing Facebook and sharing too much information with the world? ConnectSafely.org and the iKeepSafe Coalition want to help and have jointly released "A Parents' Guide to Facebook," a 35-page booklet and online resource designed to help parents show their teens how to optimize their privacy and safety on the world's largest social networking site.
"Many of our recommendations are stricter than Facebook's default settings for teens but, fortunately, Facebook provides excellent tools for further customization. This booklet helps parents and teens customize those tools fo teen-appropriate safety, privacy, and reputation protection," said ConnectSafely co-director Larry Magid.
The guide offers up step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and parenting points on safety and privacy controls, and covers both cell phone and PC-based access.
Guide (PDF)
At-a-Glance chart
http://www.connectsafely.org/Safety-Advice-Articles/facebook-privacy-chart-for-teens.html
MY THOUGHTS
it's quite a good guide. and it's downloadable. for free. click here for the guide.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
PARENTS AND KIDS AS FACEBOOK BUDDIES
Facebook Relationships: Natural for parents & teens
January 19, 2011 | Debbie Turner
http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20110119/facebook-relationships-natural-for-parents-teens/
The ever-growing Facebook is sometimes portrayed in a negative light and sometimes there has been the perception that teenagers who are using it are hooked on it and may also use it in rather a covert way, sometimes at the expense of good relationships with their parents.
However an article by Bernd Debusmann over on Reuters goes a long way to dispelling this idea by looking at results from a survey carried out by Kaplan Test Prep. It showed that perhaps contrary to popular opinion, around two-thirds of teenagers in America are happy to share social networking with their parents by having them as Facebook friends. However a note of caution is that 16% of those who have parents among their Facebook friends, only accept them as a prerequisite to signing up.
Not all teenagers are happy to accept their parents as Facebook friends either and 38% say that if their parents send them a friend request they ignore it. However executive director of Kaplan, Kristen Campbell said, “Facebook … continues to be the new frontier in the ever evolving relationship between parent and child,” and also points out that the majority of teens “are not hiding and that is positive.” It’s also noted that for many it opens lines of communication that did not previously exist and also allows teenagers to claim an amount of independence.
Campbell also describes using Facebook as a ‘natural step’ for those that have grown up as part of the Internet generation. Another article, this time by Bridget Tyler on KidGlue, also looks at these survey results and gives some good advice to parents out there that may be finding it hard to be a parent in the social networking age.
What are your thoughts on this and are you surprised by just how open most teenagers are? Where should parents draw the line at involvement in their teen’s social networking lives? Why not let us know by sending us your comments.
MY THOUGHTS
i feel so relieved i am so past teenage years. my mom has a facebook account(and she doesn't know how to use the computer). as a teenager i probably won't like to have my parents in my network. but then, in retrospect, i doubt we would have been allowed to get into social networking sites. i doubt that very very much.
January 19, 2011 | Debbie Turner
http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20110119/facebook-relationships-natural-for-parents-teens/
The ever-growing Facebook is sometimes portrayed in a negative light and sometimes there has been the perception that teenagers who are using it are hooked on it and may also use it in rather a covert way, sometimes at the expense of good relationships with their parents.
However an article by Bernd Debusmann over on Reuters goes a long way to dispelling this idea by looking at results from a survey carried out by Kaplan Test Prep. It showed that perhaps contrary to popular opinion, around two-thirds of teenagers in America are happy to share social networking with their parents by having them as Facebook friends. However a note of caution is that 16% of those who have parents among their Facebook friends, only accept them as a prerequisite to signing up.
Not all teenagers are happy to accept their parents as Facebook friends either and 38% say that if their parents send them a friend request they ignore it. However executive director of Kaplan, Kristen Campbell said, “Facebook … continues to be the new frontier in the ever evolving relationship between parent and child,” and also points out that the majority of teens “are not hiding and that is positive.” It’s also noted that for many it opens lines of communication that did not previously exist and also allows teenagers to claim an amount of independence.
Campbell also describes using Facebook as a ‘natural step’ for those that have grown up as part of the Internet generation. Another article, this time by Bridget Tyler on KidGlue, also looks at these survey results and gives some good advice to parents out there that may be finding it hard to be a parent in the social networking age.
What are your thoughts on this and are you surprised by just how open most teenagers are? Where should parents draw the line at involvement in their teen’s social networking lives? Why not let us know by sending us your comments.
MY THOUGHTS
i feel so relieved i am so past teenage years. my mom has a facebook account(and she doesn't know how to use the computer). as a teenager i probably won't like to have my parents in my network. but then, in retrospect, i doubt we would have been allowed to get into social networking sites. i doubt that very very much.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook
6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook
By Kathy Kristof
The whole social networking phenomenon has millions of Americans sharing their photos, favorite songs and details about their class reunions on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and dozens of similar sites. But there are a handful of personal details that you should never say if you don’t want criminals — cyber or otherwise — to rob you blind, according to Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
The folks at Insure.com also say that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. By now almost everybody knows that those drunken party photos could cost you a job, too.
You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?
Your birth date and place. Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you’ve just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.
Vacation plans. There may be a better way to say “Rob me, please” than posting something along the lines of: “Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!” on Twitter. But it’s hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don’t invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you’ll be gone.
Home address. Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn’t even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren’t confident that their “friends” were really just people they know.
Confessionals. You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for “misuse” of social media.
Password clues. If you’ve got online accounts, you’ve probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom’s maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? You’re giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.
Risky behaviors. You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there’s no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.
MY THOUGHTS
it's fun, isn't it? all these networki g sites where you get to link up with all those people and friends. i'm getting a little uneasy though. i googled myself and i just realized that losing your privacy may not be my cup of tea afterall. well, i still like getting in touch with friends - but not the world (haha). these tips are worth remembering.
By Kathy Kristof
The whole social networking phenomenon has millions of Americans sharing their photos, favorite songs and details about their class reunions on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and dozens of similar sites. But there are a handful of personal details that you should never say if you don’t want criminals — cyber or otherwise — to rob you blind, according to Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
The folks at Insure.com also say that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. By now almost everybody knows that those drunken party photos could cost you a job, too.
You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?
Your birth date and place. Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you’ve just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.
Vacation plans. There may be a better way to say “Rob me, please” than posting something along the lines of: “Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!” on Twitter. But it’s hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don’t invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you’ll be gone.
Home address. Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn’t even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren’t confident that their “friends” were really just people they know.
Confessionals. You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for “misuse” of social media.
Password clues. If you’ve got online accounts, you’ve probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom’s maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? You’re giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.
Risky behaviors. You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there’s no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.
MY THOUGHTS
it's fun, isn't it? all these networki g sites where you get to link up with all those people and friends. i'm getting a little uneasy though. i googled myself and i just realized that losing your privacy may not be my cup of tea afterall. well, i still like getting in touch with friends - but not the world (haha). these tips are worth remembering.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)