Lecture 16Secure Social Networking

Overview

• What is Social Networking?• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly• How to protect yourself• How to protect your children

What is Social Networking? Wikipedia

A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.

National Cyber Alert System “Social networking sites…build on the concept of

traditional social networks where you are connected to new people through the people you already know.”

“Friend of a Friend”

More definitions Web 2.0 – technology that “allows users to interact

with others and to change website content, in contrast to non-interactive websites that are limited to passive viewing of information.” (Wikipedia) Examples: social networking sites, video sharing sites,

blogs, etc. Facebook & MySpace – free-access social networking

websites Twitter – “micro” blog – 140 characters or less Blog – shared on-line journal Video Sharing Sites – YouTube, Flikr Podcast – audio broadcast that can be downloaded

The Good, the bad and the Ugly

• The Good– Networking– Communicating– Reconnecting with old friends– Keeping up with family– Business marketing and promotion• i.e., Facebook, Twitter

– Entertaining and fun

Virginia Tech example

After shooting rampage in 2007, campus in lockdown mode, phone lines jammed, website overloaded – students, faculty, staff used “…MySpace and Facebook to get in touch with family and friends outside traditional channels.”

Also used to “…send condolences, share memories and gain closure.”

*SC Magazine, article “Social Anxiety”, page 21, August 2009.

The Bad and the ugly

Personal information could get in the wrong hands. Phishing scams, viruses and spyware may spread

through social networks. Once you’ve posted something, others can copy it

or it may exist in cache, so that even if you delete it, it may still exist and is out of your control.

Anti-social? If you spend all your time on the computer.

More bad and ugly

• Internet provides sense on anonymity.• Lack of physical contact may give false sense

of security.• People may post information for friends to

read, forgetting that others may see it.

Examples The case of a person asking for emergency

money while impersonating a Facebook user to her friends. http://eliasbizannes.com/blog/2009/01/phishing-for-

fraud-on-facebook/ Also the British MI6 chief that was exposed by his

wife’s Facebook pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197562/

MI6-chief-blows-cover-wifes-Facebook-account-reveals-family-holidays-showbiz-friends-links-David-Irving.html

How can you protect yourself? Keep private information private

Do not post address, ssn, phone number, financial info, your schedule, full birth date

Be careful not to display information used to answer security questions (e.g., favorite pet, mother’s maiden name)

Use caution when you click links Be careful about installing extras on your site Be wary of unknown friends (strangers) Google yourself Don’t blindly connect Trust your gut instinct

Protect yourself continued Use and maintain anti-virus software Use strong passwords Don’t use the same password for a social networking

site and for your email Remember - social networking sites are a public

resource – like a billboard in cyberspace Evaluate sites privacy settings

Lock down your profile information to people you accept as a friend. That way no one can read your personal information unless they are an approved friend.

Be skeptical

protect your children

“It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your children are?”

“And who they are talking to online?”Age limits on some social networking sites

Facebook and MySpace open to people 13 and olderTwitter open to all

Protect Your Children (continued)

Talk to children about online safety Tell them to keep personal information private

Explain what personal information is (address, ssn, phone number, schedule, birth date, etc.)

And to not share personal information of their family or their friends either.

Caution them about sharing information such as school name, sports teams, where they work, hang out or other info that can be used to identify or locate them offline.

Protect your children (continued) More talking points

Warn them to only be “friends” with people they actually know and are friendly with in real life.

Talk to them about bullying Remind them that once they post information online,

just because they delete it, it might not be really gone.

Warn about dangers of flirting with strangers online. Warn about online sex talk.

Tell them to trust their gut if suspicious.

Protect your children (continued) Keep the computer in an

open area, like the kitchen or family room.

Use the Internet with your kids. Create a Facebook or

MySpace profile Be one of their “friends” Let your kids know that

you are there Teach them how to act as

they socialize online

Protect your children (continued)

• Check their profile– Check the privacy settings– Review their list of friends– Make sure their screen name doesn’t say too

much about them. It may be dangerous to use full name, age or hometown.