Scanning Twitter feeds this week, I saw several posts that talked about what was going on Egypt with the caveat that they were posting for someone in Egypt. This is because the government of Egypt allegedy blocked Facebook and Twitter after a series of anti-government protests. Facebook was aware of disruptions in service but said it did not experience a major change in traffic.
In the CNET News article the had a quote from Jim Cowie from the internet monitoring firm, Renesys: "at approximately 2:34pm PST, his company 'observed the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes to Egyptian networks in the internet's global routing table'. "
@Scobleizer posted: Egypt "Let's turn off the one thing keeping young people inside so they will stop protesting." Um, yeah, that really will work.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Egypt to unblock social networking sites, she asked them "not to prevent peaceful protests or block communications, including on social media".
Sources:
"US Tells Egypt to unblock Facebook, Twitter", TodayOnline, January 28, 2011.
"Twitter Reacts To Protests In Egypt", Liz McLellan, Huffington Post, January 28, 2011.
"Egypt internet outages hit Facebook and Twitter", Elinor Mills, CNET News, January 28, 2011.
Online safety. Online security. Protecting Yourself Online. Protecting Kids Online. Keeping the U.S. Safe from Cybercreeps. Cybercrime. Protecting Against Fraud.
Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facebook. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Founder Facebook Account Hacked - Security Measures Get Stacked
Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had his Official Mark Zuckerberg fan page allegedly hacked (Has anyone seen Facebook confirm or comment?).
The post read:
"Let the hacking begin: If facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a ‘social business' the way Nobel Price winner Muhammad Yunus described it? http://bit.ly/fs6rT3 What do you think? #hackercup2011"
A day later after the alleged, but not confirmed, hacking occurred, two security measures were announced on the Facebook blog:
1. Secure use while on public networks:
The Facebook Blog announced this week that HTTPS (S for secure) will be available throughout your session of Facebook and not just during logon.
Usually new options on Facebook are set to "automatically opt in" unless you turn the feature off. In this case, you have to go to the effort to turn the security features on. This approach seems counter-culture and has left security and privacy experts a little confused as to why it did not follow the "automatically opted in" approach.
2. Social Authentication:
If Facebook spots activity that seems fraudulent it may prompt the user to identify one of their friend's photos. Hmmm...make sure you are look at your friend's photo albums so you are up to speed on their latest look and sense of fashion.
Sources:
"Facebook unveils new security measures", Josh Smith, National Journal, January 26, 2011.
"Mark Zuckerberg Facebook account hacked", Matthew Shaer, The Christian Science Monitor, January 26, 2011.
The post read:
"Let the hacking begin: If facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a ‘social business' the way Nobel Price winner Muhammad Yunus described it? http://bit.ly/fs6rT3 What do you think? #hackercup2011"
A day later after the alleged, but not confirmed, hacking occurred, two security measures were announced on the Facebook blog:
1. Secure use while on public networks:
The Facebook Blog announced this week that HTTPS (S for secure) will be available throughout your session of Facebook and not just during logon.
Usually new options on Facebook are set to "automatically opt in" unless you turn the feature off. In this case, you have to go to the effort to turn the security features on. This approach seems counter-culture and has left security and privacy experts a little confused as to why it did not follow the "automatically opted in" approach.
2. Social Authentication:
If Facebook spots activity that seems fraudulent it may prompt the user to identify one of their friend's photos. Hmmm...make sure you are look at your friend's photo albums so you are up to speed on their latest look and sense of fashion.
Sources:
"Facebook unveils new security measures", Josh Smith, National Journal, January 26, 2011.
"Mark Zuckerberg Facebook account hacked", Matthew Shaer, The Christian Science Monitor, January 26, 2011.
Photo Posted Not Privacy Protected - See Judge's Opinion
According to the quote noted on the Technology and Marketing Law Blog, a Kansas City Judge said:
"[P]hotos are taken to be viewed. When [nursing student supervisor] Delphia granted permission to take the photos, it was unreasonable to assume that they would not be viewed...By giving the students permission to take the photos, which Delphia admitted, it was reasonable to anticipate that the photos would be shown to others..."
This particular case centers around nursing students who took pictures of a patient's placenta and then posted a picture on Facebook of the human placenta. The nursing students were expelled from nursing school. The students went to court and won a ruling to go back to nursing school.
The Judge saw all the facts of the case so I do not want to question his ruling. I do want to put people on alert that if this ruling becomes precedent, you may have problems with bringing forward complaints or lawsuits on ANY future photos of you or loved ones, that are posted without your permission,
Sending racy photos of yourself to your spouse? If it gets into the wrong hands and this Judge's ruling is applied, I guess you should remember that it is "..reasonable to anticipate that the photos would be shown to others..."
Snap and store photos and videos with great care.
Sources:
"Judge Says It’s Reasonable For Any Photo Taken To Go Viral. A Dangerous Precedent?", Kashmir Hill, The Not So Private Parts Blog.Forbes.com, January 27, 2011.
"Nursing School Can't Expel Students for Posting Photo to Facebook--Byrnes v. Johnson County CC", Eric Goldman, Technology & Marketing Law Blog, January 26, 2011.
"[P]hotos are taken to be viewed. When [nursing student supervisor] Delphia granted permission to take the photos, it was unreasonable to assume that they would not be viewed...By giving the students permission to take the photos, which Delphia admitted, it was reasonable to anticipate that the photos would be shown to others..."
This particular case centers around nursing students who took pictures of a patient's placenta and then posted a picture on Facebook of the human placenta. The nursing students were expelled from nursing school. The students went to court and won a ruling to go back to nursing school.
The Judge saw all the facts of the case so I do not want to question his ruling. I do want to put people on alert that if this ruling becomes precedent, you may have problems with bringing forward complaints or lawsuits on ANY future photos of you or loved ones, that are posted without your permission,
Sending racy photos of yourself to your spouse? If it gets into the wrong hands and this Judge's ruling is applied, I guess you should remember that it is "..reasonable to anticipate that the photos would be shown to others..."
Snap and store photos and videos with great care.
Sources:
"Judge Says It’s Reasonable For Any Photo Taken To Go Viral. A Dangerous Precedent?", Kashmir Hill, The Not So Private Parts Blog.Forbes.com, January 27, 2011.
"Nursing School Can't Expel Students for Posting Photo to Facebook--Byrnes v. Johnson County CC", Eric Goldman, Technology & Marketing Law Blog, January 26, 2011.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Facebook Updates Reveal Your Info - In the words of SNL's Church Lady "How Convenient"
Before you read further, please remove or mask your home address and phone numbers on personal Facebook pages, please.
Dana Carvey's Church Chat and Church Lady, vintage 1986-1990, always made me laugh. One of Church Lady's favorite phrases when her guests were crossing the line of morality into immorality was "How Con-veeen-I-ent!". In case you want to get familiar with Church Lady or take a walk down memory lane, check out some Church Chats at YouTube.
When I read the latest privacy and security alert from Sophos and saw that Facebook was once again making enhancements that would expose email addresses and home phone numbers, I thought, "How Convenient!"
Facebook, when asked about the latest change and if they were concerned about the safety of their customers, they responded they were intending to maximize convenience for its users.
In a recent change to settings, sites like Farmville and other games and applications you interact with when you are on Facebook can access your address and phone number.
Sophos and others vocally pushed this issue with Facebook and they have pulled this enhancement back, for now.
Sources:
"Facebook Update Exposes User Contact Info, Security Expert Says', FoxNews.com, January 17, 2011.
"Rogue Facebook apps can now access your home address and mobile phone number", Graham Cluley, Sophos, January 16, 2011.
Dana Carvey's Church Chat and Church Lady, vintage 1986-1990, always made me laugh. One of Church Lady's favorite phrases when her guests were crossing the line of morality into immorality was "How Con-veeen-I-ent!". In case you want to get familiar with Church Lady or take a walk down memory lane, check out some Church Chats at YouTube.
When I read the latest privacy and security alert from Sophos and saw that Facebook was once again making enhancements that would expose email addresses and home phone numbers, I thought, "How Convenient!"
Facebook, when asked about the latest change and if they were concerned about the safety of their customers, they responded they were intending to maximize convenience for its users.
In a recent change to settings, sites like Farmville and other games and applications you interact with when you are on Facebook can access your address and phone number.
Sophos and others vocally pushed this issue with Facebook and they have pulled this enhancement back, for now.
Sources:
"Facebook Update Exposes User Contact Info, Security Expert Says', FoxNews.com, January 17, 2011.
"Rogue Facebook apps can now access your home address and mobile phone number", Graham Cluley, Sophos, January 16, 2011.
DUI Mug Shots on Facebook?
Privacy vs. Policing. Where do you stand on this issue?
A City Councilman in Huntington Beach, California has proposed that the town post mug shots of anyone arrested, more than once, for DUI. The mug shot and names for repeat offenders would be posted on Facebook. He believes this approach would create a wall of shame that might deter the number of DUIs and save lives.
The California town had 195 people injured or killed due to DUIs in 2009.
The Police Department is hesitant believing it violates the accused person's rights to privacy.
Honolulu and a township in NJ tried a similar program and were reported to have backed away from their programs to post mug shots of DUIs.
Oconee County in Georgia actually uses a Facebook page to highlight criminals and suspects, for example a suspected child molester.
Sources:
"California City May Put DUI Mug Shots on Facebook", Associated Press, January 18, 2011.
A City Councilman in Huntington Beach, California has proposed that the town post mug shots of anyone arrested, more than once, for DUI. The mug shot and names for repeat offenders would be posted on Facebook. He believes this approach would create a wall of shame that might deter the number of DUIs and save lives.
The California town had 195 people injured or killed due to DUIs in 2009.
The Police Department is hesitant believing it violates the accused person's rights to privacy.
Honolulu and a township in NJ tried a similar program and were reported to have backed away from their programs to post mug shots of DUIs.
Oconee County in Georgia actually uses a Facebook page to highlight criminals and suspects, for example a suspected child molester.
Sources:
"California City May Put DUI Mug Shots on Facebook", Associated Press, January 18, 2011.
A Hacker Reads Women's Facebook Profiles And Steals Suggestive Photos
Before you read this awful story, please stop and do 3 quick things:
1. Make sure you have a strong password on your accounts
2. Review your Facebook profile to see how much information you share about yourself that could be used to impersonate you (high school attended, pet's name, favorite color, etc)
3. Photos of you on your email account could be fair game to a hacker - please snap those photos and shoot and store videos wisely
A man in California has admitted that he used Facebook profiles to collect information and hack into the email accounts of women. Once inside their accounts, he would search around their email account and if he found nude or compromising pictures or videos, he sent those out to any addresses he found in their contact book.
Just to add to this heartbreaking story, he actually coerced one victim into sending him explicit photos of her under threat that he would distribute the pictures he stole from her account.
One victim had sent photos of herself to her husband. The hacker posted them on her Facebook account and a friend notified her.
A quote from the National Cyber Security article that tugged at my heart for this poor woman:
“I have a network of like 1,500 people, so they all saw my pictures. So my graduating class of 2007 saw that. I’m in the military, so all my army friends saw that,” Piscak said.
How did he do this?
1. He would scan facebook
2. If women posted their email addresses (newsflash - most of you do), he would study their profile intently so he would have the answers to security questions
3. He would email the email service provider using the information he learned about them to convince the email providers that he was them
4. Where possible, he would take over their Facebook account as well using the information he found in their profile to guess at security questions or at their password
Victim Locations?
17 States, Washington DC and England.
Sources:
"Hacker Assaulted Women on Facebook", National Cyber Security, January 15, 2011.
1. Make sure you have a strong password on your accounts
2. Review your Facebook profile to see how much information you share about yourself that could be used to impersonate you (high school attended, pet's name, favorite color, etc)
3. Photos of you on your email account could be fair game to a hacker - please snap those photos and shoot and store videos wisely
A man in California has admitted that he used Facebook profiles to collect information and hack into the email accounts of women. Once inside their accounts, he would search around their email account and if he found nude or compromising pictures or videos, he sent those out to any addresses he found in their contact book.
Just to add to this heartbreaking story, he actually coerced one victim into sending him explicit photos of her under threat that he would distribute the pictures he stole from her account.
One victim had sent photos of herself to her husband. The hacker posted them on her Facebook account and a friend notified her.
A quote from the National Cyber Security article that tugged at my heart for this poor woman:
“I have a network of like 1,500 people, so they all saw my pictures. So my graduating class of 2007 saw that. I’m in the military, so all my army friends saw that,” Piscak said.
How did he do this?
1. He would scan facebook
2. If women posted their email addresses (newsflash - most of you do), he would study their profile intently so he would have the answers to security questions
3. He would email the email service provider using the information he learned about them to convince the email providers that he was them
4. Where possible, he would take over their Facebook account as well using the information he found in their profile to guess at security questions or at their password
Victim Locations?
17 States, Washington DC and England.
Sources:
"Hacker Assaulted Women on Facebook", National Cyber Security, January 15, 2011.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Riots Via Social Media
We talked before about how Iranian protesters were able to leverage Twitter to tell their local friends and family, and the world, about events as they were unfolding in 2009. Most posts covered the details of the crackdowns on Tehran University students that were protesting the elections.
Youths in Tunisia, a North African nation, used Facebook recently to riot and protest the unemployment situation. They have an average of 14% unemployment. The movement is leveraging social networks, including Facebook, the organize their protests and to educate and mobilize others across Tunisia.
One source said 1 in 10 Tunisians has a Facebook account. YouTube and other video sharing sites are banned and newspapers are heavily censored, so many Tunisians use Facebook to share information and videos.
Selim Ben Hassen, the Paris-based president of the Byrsa citizens movement, gave Facebook the bulk of the credit as a way to get information disseminated. Selim Ben Hassen said, "The psychological barrier of fear has fallen. People now know it's possible to go into the streets, cry 'Freedom!' and say 'We don't want a president for life.'"
Sources:
"Jobless youths in Tunisia riot using Facebook", Bouazza Ben Bouazza and Elaine Ganley, Associated Press, January 11, 2011.
Youths in Tunisia, a North African nation, used Facebook recently to riot and protest the unemployment situation. They have an average of 14% unemployment. The movement is leveraging social networks, including Facebook, the organize their protests and to educate and mobilize others across Tunisia.
One source said 1 in 10 Tunisians has a Facebook account. YouTube and other video sharing sites are banned and newspapers are heavily censored, so many Tunisians use Facebook to share information and videos.
Selim Ben Hassen, the Paris-based president of the Byrsa citizens movement, gave Facebook the bulk of the credit as a way to get information disseminated. Selim Ben Hassen said, "The psychological barrier of fear has fallen. People now know it's possible to go into the streets, cry 'Freedom!' and say 'We don't want a president for life.'"
Sources:
"Jobless youths in Tunisia riot using Facebook", Bouazza Ben Bouazza and Elaine Ganley, Associated Press, January 11, 2011.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Steps to Recovery: Someone's Facebook and E-Mail Account Hacked?
If after reading this you have a suggestion, please send it along. I would like to continue to improve this list over time for people that are victims of a hacking:
1. The unfortunate thing about e-mail and facebook is it is all "free" so help is tough but available. They do have fraud forms to fill out.
See also: http://www.eztechtips.com/has-my-gmail-account-been-hacked/
This is what Facebook says to do about the hacked account and money transfer scheme:
http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=420#!/help.php?page=1010
2. Also, this might have happened through a PC virus. Please stop using home and work PC until they are checked out. Call your PC support desk or seek out a local expert to assist you with your computer to find and isolate the virus.
Microsoft provides free virus and spyware removal support to Windows customers who think they have an infected computer.
Call: 1-866-PC Safety for phone support.
Online: Microsoft customers can also visit http://safety.live.com for
free online virus and spyware removal.
Apple provides help to computers users that believe their Mac may be infected.
Call: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
Online: Set up a phone appointment
http://www.apple.com/support/expert/ or,
request an in-person appointment at your closest
Apple Store’s Genius Bar:
http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ .
3. IMMEDIATELY change passwords to bank accounts. Actively monitor bank and credit card accounts. Look for suspicious charges, even if they are for very small amounts.
I recommend online alert services where you can set up alerts to notify you if a transaction takes place or if a transaction is over a certain amount. Go to your online banking page for more information.
As a precaution, also FREEZE the credit file. Request alerts on your credit reports. .
Online:
Equifax: http://www.equifax.com
Experian: http://www.experian.com/
TransUnion: http://www.transunion.com/
North Carolina offers a free credit freeze for victims of identity theft. Check your state for more information. For how NC works, go to the following website for more information:
http://www.ncdoj.gov/News-and-Alerts/Alerts/Freeze-your-credit-for-free.aspx.
Engage local law enforcement authorities. They are committing fraud.
a. File a report at the FBI's IC3.gov.
b. Contact the Federal Trade Commission.
Federal Trade Commission:
Call: 877-IDTHEFT or 877-438-4338
Online: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Also contact privacyrights.org for more information.
Online: http://www.privacyrights.org/
1. The unfortunate thing about e-mail and facebook is it is all "free" so help is tough but available. They do have fraud forms to fill out.
See also: http://www.eztechtips.com/has-my-gmail-account-been-hacked/
This is what Facebook says to do about the hacked account and money transfer scheme:
http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=420#!/help.php?page=1010
2. Also, this might have happened through a PC virus. Please stop using home and work PC until they are checked out. Call your PC support desk or seek out a local expert to assist you with your computer to find and isolate the virus.
Microsoft provides free virus and spyware removal support to Windows customers who think they have an infected computer.
Call: 1-866-PC Safety for phone support.
Online: Microsoft customers can also visit http://safety.live.com for
free online virus and spyware removal.
Apple provides help to computers users that believe their Mac may be infected.
Call: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
Online: Set up a phone appointment
http://www.apple.com/support/expert/ or,
request an in-person appointment at your closest
Apple Store’s Genius Bar:
http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/ .
3. IMMEDIATELY change passwords to bank accounts. Actively monitor bank and credit card accounts. Look for suspicious charges, even if they are for very small amounts.
I recommend online alert services where you can set up alerts to notify you if a transaction takes place or if a transaction is over a certain amount. Go to your online banking page for more information.
As a precaution, also FREEZE the credit file. Request alerts on your credit reports. .
Online:
Equifax: http://www.equifax.com
Experian: http://www.experian.com/
TransUnion: http://www.transunion.com/
North Carolina offers a free credit freeze for victims of identity theft. Check your state for more information. For how NC works, go to the following website for more information:
http://www.ncdoj.gov/News-and-Alerts/Alerts/Freeze-your-credit-for-free.aspx.
Engage local law enforcement authorities. They are committing fraud.
a. File a report at the FBI's IC3.gov.
b. Contact the Federal Trade Commission.
Federal Trade Commission:
Call: 877-IDTHEFT or 877-438-4338
Online: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Also contact privacyrights.org for more information.
Online: http://www.privacyrights.org/
Friday, December 17, 2010
Worried Whether You Say Too Much on Facebook? Now You Can Check...
There is a new site that can help you see just how much you and others might be oversharing.
The site is http://reasonstohate.com/ .
I warn you that you will be astonished by what people post, the pictures they provide, and their comments are out in the wide open.
Type into the search box: "Divorce" and people are chronicling their messy ends to their messages. You see their name and their profile picture.
Take some time to type in the names of your loved ones to make sure there are not any issues that you were not aware of.
From the makers of the site, here are the goals posted:
What’s the goal?
1. Raise awareness regarding the dangers of Facebook, and public online identities
2. Entertain myself and others
The makers of the site also explain their perspective on "Privacy" in this statement:
I’m not exposing anything that isn’t already public, searchable, and index elsewhere… I just put a different User interface on it and made it a little more search-friendly for the previously stated purposes.
Sources:
"Site Exposes Facebook Overshares", Phil Villarreal, The Consumerist, December 15, 2010.
The site is http://reasonstohate.com/ .
I warn you that you will be astonished by what people post, the pictures they provide, and their comments are out in the wide open.
Type into the search box: "Divorce" and people are chronicling their messy ends to their messages. You see their name and their profile picture.
Take some time to type in the names of your loved ones to make sure there are not any issues that you were not aware of.
From the makers of the site, here are the goals posted:
What’s the goal?
1. Raise awareness regarding the dangers of Facebook, and public online identities
2. Entertain myself and others
The makers of the site also explain their perspective on "Privacy" in this statement:
I’m not exposing anything that isn’t already public, searchable, and index elsewhere… I just put a different User interface on it and made it a little more search-friendly for the previously stated purposes.
Sources:
"Site Exposes Facebook Overshares", Phil Villarreal, The Consumerist, December 15, 2010.
Productivity Tool or Privacy Buster? You Decide.
Facebook photos are very popular. Facebook photo usage rivals the dedicated photo sharing sites. Facebook announced this week that it will make it easier than ever to identify friends in photos uploaded to Facebook by using facial recognition software to suggest people to tag.
Sounds like a much easier way to inventory photos. However, if you don't want YOUR name suggested on other profiles when they upload photos, you have to turn YOUR privacy settings for this feature off.
Otherwise, pictures of you at the neighbor's costume party might be tagged with your name for your co-workers to see!
Sounds like a much easier way to inventory photos. However, if you don't want YOUR name suggested on other profiles when they upload photos, you have to turn YOUR privacy settings for this feature off.
Otherwise, pictures of you at the neighbor's costume party might be tagged with your name for your co-workers to see!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Facebook Launches New Look and Features
If you missed the show on 60 Minutes, no worries, with the internet, you are just a click away. I've added a link to "Part 1" of the Interview with Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook in less than 7 years is a global phenom.
In their offices they have the word "Hack" prominently displayed. Keep in mind that "hacking" something in the computer engineering community is a compliment. The word has been hijacked by bad guys and their dastardly deeds on the internet.
Interesting way they approach their staff to create and launch new features:
a. Facebook engineers stay up all night, with their CEO Zuckerberg, doing "hackathons" to practice their craft and come up with new ideas within that time frame.
b. Another way, the engineers get tasks assigned, go to a war room, and then they get a time limit to complete everything.
Mr. Zuckerberg has launched a new layout for profiles:
1. Old way: you see everything posted pretty much in date/time order
New way: you put your bio up at the top of the page
2. Old way: photos could be a tab or in posts
New way: scrolling photos right away under your bio
3. New: You can list the important people in your life on the left hand side of the page
4. New: History of your relationship with any of your Facebook friends
5. New: Graphics of what is important to you
6. New: Sports section of the teams you like to follow
Want to update your Facebook account to the new profile look now? Go to:
Link to upgrade to the new profile
Facebook founder, Zuckerberg, said they will not share this information with advertisers.
They do have a large inventory of interests. However, applications on Facebook have been found to share this information. Zuckerberg said they shut down those applications when they find out about it.
60 minutes questions how Facebook exists if it cannot invade your privacy...it's really about transparency.
The FTC is looking into it, private Privacy Groups, and the Hill are looking into it. Facebook has hired their own lobbyist to help them with policies.
Facebook said over 200 million of their users access the application via mobile devices.
Newest product: take your text messages, emails, and instant messages...what do you call it? Facebook calls it "Messages" and considers it a virtual switchboard. It is considered to be a potential email killer.
Example used in 60 Minutes:
Type "Prius" on Google and you get public information. Type "Prius" on Facebook and you see what your friends have to say about it.
I used it to check into opinions on lego sets and other toys.
Facebook has been poaching from Google's talent base - 10% of the staff are former Google employees.
Watch the show on 60 minutes at this link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7120522n&tag=contentMain;contentAux
Facebook in less than 7 years is a global phenom.
In their offices they have the word "Hack" prominently displayed. Keep in mind that "hacking" something in the computer engineering community is a compliment. The word has been hijacked by bad guys and their dastardly deeds on the internet.
Interesting way they approach their staff to create and launch new features:
a. Facebook engineers stay up all night, with their CEO Zuckerberg, doing "hackathons" to practice their craft and come up with new ideas within that time frame.
b. Another way, the engineers get tasks assigned, go to a war room, and then they get a time limit to complete everything.
Mr. Zuckerberg has launched a new layout for profiles:
1. Old way: you see everything posted pretty much in date/time order
New way: you put your bio up at the top of the page
2. Old way: photos could be a tab or in posts
New way: scrolling photos right away under your bio
3. New: You can list the important people in your life on the left hand side of the page
4. New: History of your relationship with any of your Facebook friends
5. New: Graphics of what is important to you
6. New: Sports section of the teams you like to follow
Want to update your Facebook account to the new profile look now? Go to:
Link to upgrade to the new profile
Facebook founder, Zuckerberg, said they will not share this information with advertisers.
They do have a large inventory of interests. However, applications on Facebook have been found to share this information. Zuckerberg said they shut down those applications when they find out about it.
60 minutes questions how Facebook exists if it cannot invade your privacy...it's really about transparency.
The FTC is looking into it, private Privacy Groups, and the Hill are looking into it. Facebook has hired their own lobbyist to help them with policies.
Facebook said over 200 million of their users access the application via mobile devices.
Newest product: take your text messages, emails, and instant messages...what do you call it? Facebook calls it "Messages" and considers it a virtual switchboard. It is considered to be a potential email killer.
Example used in 60 Minutes:
Type "Prius" on Google and you get public information. Type "Prius" on Facebook and you see what your friends have to say about it.
I used it to check into opinions on lego sets and other toys.
Facebook has been poaching from Google's talent base - 10% of the staff are former Google employees.
Watch the show on 60 minutes at this link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7120522n&tag=contentMain;contentAux
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
New Facebook Spam Campaign Brought to You by Asprox
Facebook friends and fans beware! A new Facebook Spam Campaign is on the loose.
The spam is spawning from a spambot named Asprox. This is the gang behind a lot of the bogus emails purportedly sent to victims from DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS spam.
If you get a pop up screen from "Facebook Support" it looks legitimate and the message makes you think that Facebook is really on the ball protecting you.
Facebook Service is notifying you that since spam was sent from your account, they changed your password for your "safety" and they ask you to open the zip file attachment for more information.
Here's your red flag - Facebook will not send you a note asking you to download a zip file for more information.
If you do download the file it has the Sasfis trojan in it which connects to domain name pupmypzed.ru.
Source:
M86 Security Labs Blog - research and the screen shot
The spam is spawning from a spambot named Asprox. This is the gang behind a lot of the bogus emails purportedly sent to victims from DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS spam.
If you get a pop up screen from "Facebook Support" it looks legitimate and the message makes you think that Facebook is really on the ball protecting you.
Facebook Service is notifying you that since spam was sent from your account, they changed your password for your "safety" and they ask you to open the zip file attachment for more information.
Here's your red flag - Facebook will not send you a note asking you to download a zip file for more information.
If you do download the file it has the Sasfis trojan in it which connects to domain name pupmypzed.ru.
Source:
M86 Security Labs Blog - research and the screen shot
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do...and evidently it is seasonal too!
There are lots of great visualization tools available now to look at lots of data points in a synthesized, simplified graphic. Infographics are fun to look at but so are trend graphs.
In a blog post by Mathias Mikkelsen, he mentions listening to a talk by David McCandless. David is an author, writer & designer in London. He has written some great articles for Wired and The Guardian.
One of the trendlines that he covered during a recent talk was Facebook and how it can trendline breakups. David's team looked at more than 10,000 "status updates" using search terms "breakup" and "broken up" on Facebook profiles and then matched those to a dateline.
Evidently, breakups trend Up around 4 data points:
before spring break
right after Valentine's day
on Mondays
before summer gears up
right before Christmas
So, if you change your status when you enter or leave a relationship, just remember that maybe more than your friends are watching and taking count!
Source(s):
"British journalist David McCandless makes Facebook breakup chart by analyzing 10K status updates", Alexandra Hazlett, NYDailyNews.com, November 4, 2010.
"Amazing Facts About Facebook and Breakups", Mathias Mikkelsen, October 25, 2010.
In a blog post by Mathias Mikkelsen, he mentions listening to a talk by David McCandless. David is an author, writer & designer in London. He has written some great articles for Wired and The Guardian.
One of the trendlines that he covered during a recent talk was Facebook and how it can trendline breakups. David's team looked at more than 10,000 "status updates" using search terms "breakup" and "broken up" on Facebook profiles and then matched those to a dateline.
Evidently, breakups trend Up around 4 data points:
before spring break
right after Valentine's day
on Mondays
before summer gears up
right before Christmas
So, if you change your status when you enter or leave a relationship, just remember that maybe more than your friends are watching and taking count!
Source(s):
"British journalist David McCandless makes Facebook breakup chart by analyzing 10K status updates", Alexandra Hazlett, NYDailyNews.com, November 4, 2010.
"Amazing Facts About Facebook and Breakups", Mathias Mikkelsen, October 25, 2010.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Facebook Falls Short When it Comes to Child Predators - Parents, you are the first line of defense
Fox News did an investigation researching how well Facebook handles and blocks child predators.
Once they completed their research, they showed 2 Facebook executives, the screens they found that show predators are getting through to kids.
The researchers found that by entering "PTHC" which is shorthand for Pre Teen Hard Core, they were shown graphic images.
There is a database of words and terms that has been created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This database can be accessed by programs like Facebook to alert them anytime a cybercreep is using terms or words that are clearly linked to child predator activity.
The Fox News research found child pornography as well.
Facebook committed to reviewing and enhancing their filters.
This is a complex issue and you cannot make Facebook the bad guy here.
You are your kid's first line of defense. Be active on your kid's page. Keep their profile secure. Monitor their wall and friends' list.
Sources:
"Facebook Falls Short In Blocking Pedophiles", Fox News, October 21, 2010.
Once they completed their research, they showed 2 Facebook executives, the screens they found that show predators are getting through to kids.
The researchers found that by entering "PTHC" which is shorthand for Pre Teen Hard Core, they were shown graphic images.
There is a database of words and terms that has been created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This database can be accessed by programs like Facebook to alert them anytime a cybercreep is using terms or words that are clearly linked to child predator activity.
The Fox News research found child pornography as well.
Facebook committed to reviewing and enhancing their filters.
This is a complex issue and you cannot make Facebook the bad guy here.
You are your kid's first line of defense. Be active on your kid's page. Keep their profile secure. Monitor their wall and friends' list.
Sources:
"Facebook Falls Short In Blocking Pedophiles", Fox News, October 21, 2010.
Facebook breach creates questions on the Hill
There are 500 Million Facebook users.
The Wall Street Journal reported that your information was being transmitted to marketing firms.
In response, U.S. Representatives Edward Markey (D-Mass) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), sent a letter to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
The WSJ noted an excerpt from that letter which expressed concerns that "third-party applications gathered and transmitted personally identifiable information about Facebook users and those users' friends."
The letter requests that Mr. Zuckerberg provide information such as: 1. how many people were affected; 2. when Facebook knew about it; and 3. permanent changes Facebook will make to prevent further issues.
The response is due next week on 10/27!
Sources:
"More Questions for Facebook", Wall Street Journal, Geoffrey A. Fowler, October 18, 2010.
The Wall Street Journal reported that your information was being transmitted to marketing firms.
In response, U.S. Representatives Edward Markey (D-Mass) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), sent a letter to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
The WSJ noted an excerpt from that letter which expressed concerns that "third-party applications gathered and transmitted personally identifiable information about Facebook users and those users' friends."
The letter requests that Mr. Zuckerberg provide information such as: 1. how many people were affected; 2. when Facebook knew about it; and 3. permanent changes Facebook will make to prevent further issues.
The response is due next week on 10/27!
Sources:
"More Questions for Facebook", Wall Street Journal, Geoffrey A. Fowler, October 18, 2010.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Facebook - Breaking Your Privacy Rules.
The Wall Street Journal has written a multi-part series, an excellent expose called "What They Know", covering the complex world behind the web and how it impacts your personal privacy.
Today they brought to light a practice of Facebook applications. The unique "Facebook ID" number is being shared between Facebook, Facebook applications, and vendors that the Facebook applications might do business with.
The cause for concern is the Facebook ID number can be used to trace back to a person's name and their friends' names even if you have your security settings at the highest and strictest levels. In other words, you have a false sense of privacy.
A Facebook user ID is a public part of your profile. ANYONE can use the ID to look up your name, even if you have all of your Facebook information set to private.
Do you love to play FarmVille or Texas HoldEm Poker? Or, do your friends? If so, your privacy is at risk based on the games you play and the games your friends play.
Roughly 25 apps on Facebook were found to be violating your privacy by collecting your information and passing it along.
The WSJ reports that RapLeaf linked your Facebook user IDs to information in other databases to create a more thorough profile about you. When confronted by the WSJ, RapLeaf asserted that the transmission of Facebook ID was unintentional.
I am finding it challenging that these companies with innovative leaders and technology geniuses are doing all this by accident? What is your opinion?
There is a point of view out there that your privacy has already been invaded so you should not be upset.
{POST REVISION NOTE} By the way, I got a note from Rex Hammock, who is mentioned in the Atlantic Wire as "the CEO of a media marketing firm". In that article, He says your grocery store programs sell more information about you than Facebook apps do. He wrote and clarified his position. He commented that "there are many ways people constantly give out information about themselves that third-parties sell -- and that marketers use." See his comments below.
{POST REVISION NOTE} By the way, I got a note from Rex Hammock, who is mentioned in the Atlantic Wire as "the CEO of a media marketing firm". In that article, He says your grocery store programs sell more information about you than Facebook apps do. He wrote and clarified his position. He commented that "there are many ways people constantly give out information about themselves that third-parties sell -- and that marketers use." See his comments below.
Experts may be divided but there are a set of experts that feel you should be allowed to control your security and trust that your information is only being shared with your permission and not through a technology loophole.
How to Protect Yourself:
1. Avoid playing Facebook games
2. Check out the list of top 10 apps that were sending out information and discontinue use
3. Educate your friends on Facebook - their actions could leak your information
Top 10 Apps Sending Your Facebook ID:
FarmVille
Phrases
Texas HoldEm
FrontierVille
Causes
Cafe World
Mafia Wars
Quiz Planet
Treasure Isle
IHeart
Sources:
"Facebook in Privacy Breach - Top-Ranked Applications Transmit Personal IDs, a Journal Investigation Finds", Wall Street Journal, Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler, October 18, 2010.
"How Harmful Is Facebook's Privacy Breach?", The Atlantic Wire, John Hudson, October 18, 2010.
Sources:
"Facebook in Privacy Breach - Top-Ranked Applications Transmit Personal IDs, a Journal Investigation Finds", Wall Street Journal, Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler, October 18, 2010.
"How Harmful Is Facebook's Privacy Breach?", The Atlantic Wire, John Hudson, October 18, 2010.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Careful of what you click on especially free iPad offers
A cybercreep found a hole in the photo upload system for Facebook and was able to use that to send spam to Facebook & Twitter accounts that promised free iPads.
The cybercreep was able to upload the photos to people's walls, without their permission making the photo and the free iPad offer look like it was endorsed by the person.
In a twist of irony, a friend of CEO Mark Zuckerberg had their account hacked.
Evidently thousands of Facebook users were impacted.
How to protect yourself:
1. Don't click on links for "free" items unless you are on a company web page
2. Make sure you use strong passwords
3. Don't use the same password on more than one social site
Source: Article in the Guardian, Posted by Charles Arthur, September 6, 2010
The cybercreep was able to upload the photos to people's walls, without their permission making the photo and the free iPad offer look like it was endorsed by the person.
In a twist of irony, a friend of CEO Mark Zuckerberg had their account hacked.
Evidently thousands of Facebook users were impacted.
How to protect yourself:
1. Don't click on links for "free" items unless you are on a company web page
2. Make sure you use strong passwords
3. Don't use the same password on more than one social site
Source: Article in the Guardian, Posted by Charles Arthur, September 6, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New Facebook Bug Invades Your Privacy...Again
Does the title of my post sound like a repeat? New bug, repeat problem - privacy issues.
The Facebook community learned this week that a new bug at the login point to Facebook will reveal names and photos -- even if you have locked your privacy settings down tightly.
Here is how it works:
1. Someone logs into Facebook using your email address & they guess the wrong password
2. Facebook displays a screen that tells them to try the password again and displays the picture you have on file and the name you have put on your profile
This is a treasure trove of information that cybercreeps and cybercriminals can use.
The bug is now fixed but this is a friendly reminder to do the following:
1. Go to your Facebook account and choose "Preview My Profile". What does it say about you? Does it say anything you would NOT want a cybercreep to read?
An example might include: You may not want to list your full birthdate, including year
2. Check your privacy settings to make sure they are set to the level you feel most comfortable with.
You have a lot of settings to choose from and can lock down information to just "friends", or "friends of friends" or you can go wide open
3. Review any pictures you have posted - do they identify you in a way the compromises you to fraudsters? Are you giving too much identifiable information about your children and their schedules? Are you providing too much information that could be used for social engineering?
4. Go to your favorite search engine and type in "your name, Facebook" to double check. Do the same for your loved ones.
You can stay on top of the latest security and privacy issues by tracking Facebook's security page and the page updated by Sophos.
1. Security Page on Facebook
2. Sophos Security Suggestions for Facebook
As always, I'm open to questions & suggestions.
The Facebook community learned this week that a new bug at the login point to Facebook will reveal names and photos -- even if you have locked your privacy settings down tightly.
Here is how it works:
1. Someone logs into Facebook using your email address & they guess the wrong password
2. Facebook displays a screen that tells them to try the password again and displays the picture you have on file and the name you have put on your profile
This is a treasure trove of information that cybercreeps and cybercriminals can use.
The bug is now fixed but this is a friendly reminder to do the following:
1. Go to your Facebook account and choose "Preview My Profile". What does it say about you? Does it say anything you would NOT want a cybercreep to read?
An example might include: You may not want to list your full birthdate, including year
2. Check your privacy settings to make sure they are set to the level you feel most comfortable with.
You have a lot of settings to choose from and can lock down information to just "friends", or "friends of friends" or you can go wide open
3. Review any pictures you have posted - do they identify you in a way the compromises you to fraudsters? Are you giving too much identifiable information about your children and their schedules? Are you providing too much information that could be used for social engineering?
4. Go to your favorite search engine and type in "your name, Facebook" to double check. Do the same for your loved ones.
You can stay on top of the latest security and privacy issues by tracking Facebook's security page and the page updated by Sophos.
1. Security Page on Facebook
2. Sophos Security Suggestions for Facebook
As always, I'm open to questions & suggestions.
Monday, February 1, 2010
If Facebook Founder, Zuckerburg says Privacy is no longer a social norm, then how Private Are Your Posts?
Are you one of the over 350 Million people that use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family?
According to Hitwise, Facebook briefly surpassed Google as the most visited site in the world during the Christmas season.
The founder of Facebook said that privacy is no longer a social norm.
Facebook also recently changed how privacy settings work. If you do not check these settings, you may be showing more about your personal life than you planned to.
Take this Quick Quiz:
Question 1: True or False. People who are not on your friend list on Facebook, can use a search engine and see your Facebook posts, including photos, even if they are not on your friend list on Facebook.
Answer: True, anyone can see your Facebook posts, unless you change your privacy settings in Facebook – and - even then, some things are still not private.
Question 2: True or False. Even if my information is out there on the web, the chances of someone finding it are remote because only about 25% of people actually google search each other.
Answer: False! In a recent PEW study out of the 75% of all Americans that use the Internet, over 53% are Googling (or using a search engine) to look up each other!
Go to your favorite search engine such as Yahoo.com, Google.com, or Bing.com and type in “Your Name, Facebook” and see what comes up as a test. If your kids have profiles, check each one of theirs as well.
Facebook recently changed their privacy settings making your profile more open unless you lock it down.
If you read their company information carefully, Facebook considers what you post to be available to the public unless you tell them otherwise.
Zuckerberg said that “if he had created Facebook today…he would have made user information public, not private, by default as it was for years until the company changed it”
Test Your Profile Privacy:
Go to your favorite search engine such as Yahoo.com, Google.com, or Bing.com and type in “Your Name, Facebook” and see what comes up as a test. If your kids have profiles, check each one of theirs as well.
You and Your Profile: Protect, Polish and Private
Now is the perfect time to do a little housecleaning on your Facebook profile.
The rule of thumb to manage what people can see about you is the 3 Ps: Protect, Polish and Private.
1. Protect Your Friends: Go to your settings where the Friends box is. Make sure that “Show Friend List to Everyone” does not have a checkmark in it.
2. Polish Your Profile: Make sure that if your current or prospective boss sees your postings that you have put forward your best image
3. Private: You can make each post private to your list of friends by clicking on the lock icon next to your posts.
Other Steps You May Want to Take:
· Photo Albums: Choose Settings and pick the settings you are most comfortable with. The “EVERYONE” setting is the most open.
· Friends: Choose “What your friends can share about you” and look at the check boxes. Most privacy advocates recommend that you uncheck all the boxes.
· Public Search: Go to “Public Search Results”. Where it says “Allow”, make sure you do not have a checkmark in that box if you do not want every search engine to pick your posts
· Your Kids’ Profiles: Be careful when your children reveal information that can identify them, such as a school team name, what sport they play, where they work or go to school, or the name of the town they live in.
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