Dangers of Social Media Networking Part 2
Last week I started this series to introduce you to the dangers of social networking. I was not ready for the response. Yes I know we all use them and yes I know they are necessary for business, just be aware of the dangers. Use these services but think before you type and use them safely. So, now let’s continue.
It's A Worm. It's social networking at its finest.
Experts say social networking users can expect more threats to travel virally. Experts say that other rapid, self-replicating viruses will likely be more malicious, designed to steal or delete users' personal information like date of birth and passwords. That data can then be sold in numerous black market economies or used to acquire credit card and bank information. Often the same login credentials used on Facebook and MySpace are also used to access banking and other sensitive accounts.
'Poking' Holes in XXS Flaws.
In a recent attack, millions of Facebook users were left exposed to a cross site scripting vulnerability affecting the user interface of the site's Job page. Among other things, the vulnerability gave the attackers the ability to install malicious software as well as trick users into handing over their credentials through fake logins. The takeaway is that the same threats plaguing Web 2.0 are amplified on social networking sites. Why? Because these sites rely on the prolific and rapid spread of information between users.
Flash Attacks. It's the beauty of Web 2.0.
There are more attacks on Flash now than ever before. Applications such as Adobe Air and Microsoft Silverlight, which allow the browser to be used in a more effective way, also increase the attack surface.
Naturally, the prolific use of Flash is one of the evolutions that make Facebook and MySpace so lucrative to attackers. As anyone with a profile knows, these technologies are extremely pervasive, as well as fun, when doing social networking. Unfortunately, a recent exploit in Adobe Flash has become a huge security threat.
Experts say that so far hundreds of thousands of Websites have been compromised, including thousands of networking site pages, as the result of the Flash exploit loose in the wild.Next week, part three. Special thanks to Channel Web, http://www.crn.com.
Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.
It's A Worm. It's social networking at its finest.
Experts say social networking users can expect more threats to travel virally. Experts say that other rapid, self-replicating viruses will likely be more malicious, designed to steal or delete users' personal information like date of birth and passwords. That data can then be sold in numerous black market economies or used to acquire credit card and bank information. Often the same login credentials used on Facebook and MySpace are also used to access banking and other sensitive accounts.
'Poking' Holes in XXS Flaws.
In a recent attack, millions of Facebook users were left exposed to a cross site scripting vulnerability affecting the user interface of the site's Job page. Among other things, the vulnerability gave the attackers the ability to install malicious software as well as trick users into handing over their credentials through fake logins. The takeaway is that the same threats plaguing Web 2.0 are amplified on social networking sites. Why? Because these sites rely on the prolific and rapid spread of information between users.
Flash Attacks. It's the beauty of Web 2.0.
There are more attacks on Flash now than ever before. Applications such as Adobe Air and Microsoft Silverlight, which allow the browser to be used in a more effective way, also increase the attack surface.
Naturally, the prolific use of Flash is one of the evolutions that make Facebook and MySpace so lucrative to attackers. As anyone with a profile knows, these technologies are extremely pervasive, as well as fun, when doing social networking. Unfortunately, a recent exploit in Adobe Flash has become a huge security threat.
Experts say that so far hundreds of thousands of Websites have been compromised, including thousands of networking site pages, as the result of the Flash exploit loose in the wild.Next week, part three. Special thanks to Channel Web, http://www.crn.com.
Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.
Labels: Internet Safety, Social Media Networking
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