Facebook question

[techs]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but exactly why is Facebook a security risk?
Can people embed viruses or malware on its pages?

 

[Fardringle]

In my opinion, it's more of a security risk because of the social stupidity factor. People put all kinds of personal information on their Facebook pages that can often be used to guess their user names and passwords for secure sites. Sometimes they are even more helpful by listing some of those sites such as the school they attend, the bank they use, etc.

That being said, I block Facebook and Myspace and other similar sites on my network simply because people spend WAY too much time there instead of doing the actual work they are getting paid for.

 

[Sam25]

Yes, agreed. It's more of the personal info people provide on Facebook that might be a security threat.

 

[corkyg]

To put it another way, it is simply exposure to anyone, anywhere, with no safe guards. There's an old saying that applies, . . . "Fools names and fools faces often appear in foolish places." Such sites are a hacker's and ID thief's dream.

This thread really belongs in the SOCIAL ISSUES Forum.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Agreed...the easy access to personal information is the biggest threat.

In the 5 years FB has been around, I can recall only 1 or 2 actual viruses that specifically affected the site. Spam has become somewhat more common in the last year; I don't recall seeing spam on people's walls for the first few years the site existed.