Online Security Threats of 2008

As we become more of an online society where we live and interact through the internet through sites like Facebook and Myspace, we add more information to our profiles and our devices.  This leads to there being more information available that hackers can exploit to gain email addresses, personal information, etc. Unless this is correctly secured and users are knowledgeable of what ploys are being used to lure people into vulnerable situations on the internet, hackers have more venues to gain information from internet users.  For example, cell phones are becoming more versatile and useful.  However, to be useful, we must start to upload information such as our contacts onto our phones.  Security professionals have already shown that many of the promenant platforms can be easily hacked.  We have already seen the iPhone security holes being taken advantage of.

I came across a great article entitled Looming Online Security Threats in 2008 that goes into some of the threats we may see in the coming year.  These included exploiting internet users’ trust through Myspace and Facebook, augmented PC attacks that steal personal information, increase in cellular attacks, attacks on corporate databases for proprietary design and engineering information that can be sold, and professionally written email virus scams.  I highly recommend reading this article for a more indepth look.  I wanted to share the following security tips with you though from the article.

— Don’t give away any valuable or sensitive personal information on your MySpace or Facebook profile, or within messages to other members of the network. And don’t click on any links in social network messages from people you don’t know.

— No reputable company will ask for your password, account number, or other log-in information via e-mail or instant message.

— Use one of the many antivirus, antispyware, and firewall programs on the market. Often, vendors offer all three functions in a single package. And many Internet service providers offer them free with your monthly subscription.

— Upgrade your browser to the most current version. From Microsoft, that’s Internet Explorer 7. Mozilla’s Firefox is on version 2, as is Apple’s Safari browser.

— Pay attention to the messages from Windows that pop up on your screen, especially in the new Vista operating system. They often contain helpful security information that many users overlook.

— Turn on Windows’ automatic-update function to get Microsoft’s regular security patches.

Education on the scams that are out there can be very helpful in reducing the effects of these “trusting techniques”.  IT professionals use the acronymn PEBKAC (Problem exists between keyboard and chair) to explain when the reason why security or a computer didn’t work is due to the person operating the computer.  Education can greatly reduce this type of error.  A person can’t be prepared for something they don’t know anything about.

Introduction and a little bit on privacy and Facebook

Hello all,

 As my first post, I just wanted to give a little background.  I am currently a MBA student working in Web Strategy in California for the summer before finishing off my last year back at Purdue University.  I am starting this blog to track my way through security of information from the business stand point particularly on the web.  I’m doing an independent study on the subject. 

 I want to start off a little bit with a little talk about Facebook.  I have been reading a post by Tim O’Reilly on O’Reilly Radar entitled Facebook is the Microsoft Office of Social Apps.  The discussion has ranged from saying it is the Office, Windows and Photoshop of Social applications.  There have also been comments about the “so called privacy” that Facebook extends to its users. Mairead commented.

There’s something very unhealthy about talking about “privacy” while freely handing over massive amounts of personal information to a faceless, utterly self-interested corporation. On what planet can that possibly be construed as having anything positive to do with privacy!?!

I would like to respond to this.  Yes, Facebook is handing massive amounts of personal information and yes, they are a self-interested corporation.  However, all self-interested corporations know what keeps them successful and one of Facebook’s competitive advantages is the privacy they give users.  If they mess with that too much, they loose market share and loyal customers.  Consider what happened when they added the News Feeds.  There was a huge outcry about the new features.  The company had to scramble to implement all the privacy features people found necessary. 

Another thought is that in this day and age, more and more information is being held remotely.  Your email, your photos, your health information.  Most people are not in possession of alot of information they believe is private.  Keeping the only copy of your private information yourself is not efficient in any way you think about it.  It is necessary for the information to be out in the world, held by someone else in order for us to be able to go about our normal lives.

Your privacy is held by business.  Your doctor runs a business.  Email servers are owned by a business.  They know that privacy is part of their survival.  When business starts to forget this from time to time, as consumers in this world, we have to be the watchguards that remind business of this fact. 

I’d love to hear everyone’s view on this.