Dangers of social networking web sites

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Professor

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Institution

Date

Introduction

Social networking websites are sites, which enable people to create a profile within a secluded system, choose a list of individuals or users signed to the same site, with which they interact and share a connection, and have access to their information depending on the other party’s private settings. These vary from one to another, some share close similarities while others have wide difference. Examples of social networking websites include, YouTube, Facebook, twitter, my space, LinkedIn, yahoo messenger, and Google plus among others. In the 21st century, almost half of the world population uses the social network websites in one way or another. Those include both adults and children. There are many dangers and risks of using these social websites. Children are the most vulnerable users adults too can fall prey to those risks and dangers. It is advisable that any person below the age of 13 years need to use these social networks in any way since they are most vulnerable group and can easily fall prey to the risk of social network websites (Clifton park, 2010).

Despite revolutionizing social connectivity and how people share information and interact, social websites have created a haven for con artists, criminals, and other dishonest individuals abusing this capability for selfish and crime purposes. This paper contains discussions on the types of social websites dangers, their examples, and ways of avoiding such risks. Each section is discussed in detailed form.

There are two common ways these actors use to con or exploit online social website users. These include online hawkers who specialize in writing and manipulating computer of the user to have access to ones computer or phones and install unauthorised software on them. They then use these installations to steal personal information use it to trick others for ill purposes such as extortion, threats, or getting favouritisms. Such act of impersonation is identity theft. Identity thefts are common on the social networks for instance one impersonating a celebrity. Therefore using the trust people have on the imposed celebrity to extort money from the innocent and unaware users. These acts of impersonation are common on social websites such as twitter, twitter, and other social sites.

The other ones are human hackers commonly referred to as social engineers; they manipulate and use people through online interaction to gain access to their personal information. They then use the information gained for their own selfish needs children and women are the most vulnerable users targeted by these kinds of con artistes. Hackers know that people are weak as security and privacy of the social websites is concerned, they design and plan their action and motives to make them appear friendly and harmless and legal. In the recent times, many people have come out to give their ordeal with such cons.

Once a person shares any information on the social network site, the privacy of such information becomes questionable. The privacy of such information becomes at risk, it is no longer considered as private information but a public one. The more information one shares on the social network websites the vulnerable he or she became to the dangers involved. No matter, the security level, one uses on the social network, their privacy are always at stake since other parties such as friends or the websites they use can still leak their personal information. Internet con artistes mostly use personal information to harm one or those close to them for instance, family, friends, and even co-workers. A con artiste or a hacker can impersonate a person using their information, and use it to trick other innocent and unknowing users for their ill benefits and needs (Livingstone and Haddon, 2009).

Hackers, business competitors, foreign states or agencies, predators, and other internet users of ill intentions use the social sites. They search for information about their target audience for exploitation and abuse hence they achieve their.

Apart from identity theft, other usage of information acquired from social websites includes planning an attack on the users. Tactics used by the con artistes may include the following, baiting, click jacking, cross site scripting, elicitation, doxing, pharming, phising, phreaking, scams, and spoofing.

Baiting, from the word bait, which means to lay a trap cunningly for something or someone one targets in a way or the other. Social network con artiste can use USB devices load them with malware and any other software, which can enable the hack ones devices they do this hoping that someone else will use these same devices hence enabling them to hack those persons computer. It is advisable that one scan any foreign USB drive before using them to detect, and clean any virus that maybe in such devices. One should avoid using foreign USB devices, as this will reduce the chances of attacks by these hackers’ plans and baits.

Click jacking; this is hiding or concealing links under legitimate clickable material, making one perform a function unknowingly when he or she clicks on the legitimate link. One may send their identification to some site unknowingly or download malware to their devices. To curb this kind of attack, setting ones browser to maximise security is advisable and necessary. Most of The click jacking swindles use the like and share option on social websites to perform or achieve their ill purposes (Stenzel and Nesdahl, 2011).

Cross-site scripting (XSS), this is the injection or introduction of a malicious code into a trusted website. The actual attack occurs when the malicious code gets permanently stored on a server. When one tries to access the stored data, their computer device or clicks on the malicious link; the malicious code transverse to the server then reflects the attack back to the victim’s browser. The victim, on the other hand, sees the link as from a trusted source. This link or code can perform a task such as downloading and installing ant viruses and other malware on the server and the victims’ computer, which may lead to system failure or crash. To avoid this kind of attack, turning off HTTP TRACE support on all servers is appropriate. In addition, users should be cautious on clicking on a link, which seems suspicious despite the link being from a trusted code as they may be corrupted or malicious.

Doxing; this is when a person’s personal information such as full names, date of birth, addresses, pictures, bank details, and any other sensitive personal information retrieved from the net are released to the public. Con artistes can use this information to impersonate the real persons whose information details are leaked. They can use the stolen identity to perform crimes putting the real persons in danger of false executed by the law enforcers. This calls for all social networks users to carefully choose the kind of information they online.

Elicitation; the use of conversion to gain information from someone without making him or her feel as if they are being questioned or interrogated. Online hackers or engineers have mastered the art of elicitation tactics. All online social network users should at all times be aware of such tactics and be able to identify them. Once a person realise that another online user is trying to acquire their personal details he or she should cut off the chat.

Pharming, this is the act of redirecting users from a legitimate website or link to a con or fraudulent one with the aim of acquiring their personal data. Hackers and fraudsters create fake bank websites and try to use them get information from unsuspecting persons. They then use such information to access and use ones bank account without their consent stealing or transacting illegal business as the legitimate account holder. This puts the legitimate account holder to the risk of false execution. It is advisable that one avoid links when using the social network for transacting prestigious businesses. One should type the website they want to access and avoid clicking on links since most fraudsters use those links to redirect users to their fraudulent websites.

Phreaking, this is the act of gaining access to telecommunication systems. When using the social websites one should at all times be cautious and avoid providing their secure phone numbers or contacts. Cyber criminals can install malware and access a user’s personal data or even access services the user uses. They can make phone calls at the user’s expense, or even use other services such as mobile banking and perform such transactions.

Spoofing, this is the art of deceiving computer users by faking ones identity and using the later to access information from other user in the pretense of the legitimate holder of the identity. Online or social sites con artistes mostly use these to gain professional information about employees of firms and organizations by imposing as either a colleague or boss of the employees. It is advisable that one knows all their workmates and clients and always be on the lookout for their imposters.

Scams, this are cunning and fake deals that trick people into giving their personal information, providing money, or even giving out other peoples sensitive information. If any deal one comes across on the social website mostly in an email sent to ones account, be careful, as the deal may be a swindle. A person may fall victim such frauds if he or she visits an infected website or donate to a bogus charity cause online (Timm, 2011).

Preventive measures

To avoid being exposed or falling victim to the social website dangers, there are a numbers of measures deployable for both individual and organisations. The organizational measures include, strong security measures, continuous check up of data movement on the network, provision of early security trainingdirect employees to report any malicious or suspicious occurrence detected, educate the employees on their online impact to the organization, create ways of detecting system intrusion (Agosto and Abbas, 2011).

Strong security measure, this involves deploying multiple security measures throughout the network such that despite any security breach on one level the other level can still curb the intrusion and neutralise the threat. This ensures that the network system of an organization security is always strong and free from any social network attack. Creation of ways to detect any intrusion or attack, an organization ought to create and install security measures that can detect any intrusion into the network system. This ensures that any threat or attack is neutralized before it causes any damage to the network system. Training the employees on their online impact on the organization, all employees ought to know that whatever activity they engage in on the social network can have either positive or negative impact on the organization. Therefore, employees ought to be cautious on what they share on the social network websites not to taint the organization’s image (Sommers, 2008).

Individual preventive measures include, avoid storing any sensitive information on devices one uses on the internet, always deploy high security on social networking site one uses, use antivirus and firewall software, change passwords oftenly, one should monitor his or her bank statements to detect any scam trying to use or fool him or her. Avoid sharing usernames, passwords, social security numbers, credit cards, bank information, computer network details among other sensitive and personal information. This protects one from possible hacking or giving of information to the online criminals unknowingly.

One should avoid accessing their personal information from the public network or Wi-Fi. This not only minimizes the possibility of hackers accessing their personal details but also maintains their privacy at all times (Scherer, 2011).

References

EC- Council Press. (2010). Cyber safety: This book maps to security 5. Clifton Park, N.Y: Cengage learning.

Issues for debate in sociology: Selections from CQ researcher. (2010). Los Angeles: SAGE/Pine Forge.

Stenzel, P., & Nesdahl, M. (2011). Who’s in your social network?: Understanding the risks associated with modern media and social networking and how it can impact your character and relationships. Ventura, Calif: Regal.

Agosto, D. E., & Abbas, J. (2011). Teens, libraries, and social networking: What librarians need to know. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimite

Sommers, M. A. (2008). The dangers of online predators. New York: Rosen Central.

Livingstone, S. M., & Haddon, L. (2009). Kids online: Opportunities and risks for children. Bristol, U.K: Policy Press.

Scherer, L. S. (2011). Social networking. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Timm, C., Perez, R., & Ely, A. (2010). Seven deadliest social network attacks. Burlington, MA: Syngress/Elsevier.