In the News
Another hack leaves Facebook users vulnerable. In Facebook hacker stole login information for 50 million accounts, Nick Slatt at The Verge discusses how a hacker stole security tokens and used them to access the login information of 50 million Facebook accounts. Slatt explains that 90 million accounts in total may have been vulnerable as a result, and thus required 90 million users to reset their login information. Facebook does not believe financial information was stolen from user profiles.
Our Take
Recently, Facebook has been bombarded by data misuse, frequent hacks, and general privacy concerns. All of this has made many of Facebook’s users question whether the platform is a worthwhile form of social media. Whatever your opinion is, it is clear that the frequency that user information is breached is cause for alarm. While Facebook insists that sensitive information such as finances were not made vulnerable, users do keep an abundance of personal information on their social media profiles and feeds including access to their network of friends and family. It is crucial that Facebook identifies a way to prevent such widescale hacks from occurring in order to secure user data and regain user trust. The frequency of social media hacks increases the importance that you, the user, use smart practices when utilizing such platforms.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your personal information and experience when using social media?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Utilize additional security/privacy measures and settings on apps, accounts, and platforms whenever possible
- When possible, enable multi-factor authentication on your accounts and apps
- Refrain from choosing passwords that contain a simple word or phrase–create strong passwords and change them periodically
- Stay up to date on news covering recent breaches to see if you may have been affected