Security issues – social networking

Security issues – social networking
The success of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Myspace has resulted in many
individuals having their own web pages where they can share information about themselves with friends,
family and others.
Although all different, social networks share a number of common features which include:
(a) User profiles which hold personal information about the user such as their date of birth, interests
and family relations.
(b) Media such as photos and video which are uploaded by the user and held within their user profile
for viewing by other users.
(c) Messaging services that allow users within the network to communicate with each other.
(d) Apps and widgets (small software programs) such as games or quizzes that users can share, some
of which can be used to collect information about the user.
The true power of these sites is the ability of users to create large networks, or groups, consisting of
themselves and others. Users can search the site for their real life friends using personal information
such as their date of birth and town where they live and 'add them' as virtual friends on the network. The
site itself may suggest other individuals which a user may wish to add as friends based on virtual
friends that they have in common. Once connected, the two friends can view each other's personal
information and media stored on the system.
Can an employer stop web surfing at work? Many employers already do this as a practical matter of security
and productivity. Many social networking websites like Facebook and Myspace are notorious for having very
weak security protocols. This makes acquiring a virus that could potentially affect the network mainframe
much more likely.
Many programs exist that can restrict access to certain websites, while allowing business to flow. In
addition, it is very simple for a company to track access to specific websites and monitor activity from
computer terminals because of the way networks are set up. Unproductive surfing can be a boredom cure
for some jobs, but for other businesses it can be a problem for productivity