In the News
Once again, Facebook is in the news for a lack of proper data storage. In Facebook stored hundreds of millions of passwords in plain text, Jacob Krastenakes at The Verge discusses how hundreds of millions of Facebook user’s passwords were stored without proper encryption leaving them accessible to thousands of Facebook employees. Krastenakes details that Facebook will be notifying any user impacted by this exposure and states that the passwords are now securely stored. However, Krastenakes states that Facebook is not requiring those affected to change their passwords.
Our Take
These days, it seems as though Facebook makes a data storage or privacy error at every turn. In light of such events, one would think that the company would increase its privacy and data security initiatives. However, to the average user, this does not seem to be the case. The lack of proper encryption in storing user passwords is an unnecessary error that could have harmful repercussions if user information falls into the wrong hands or gets sold on the dark web. Despite Facebook not requiring users to change their passwords, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to securing your personal information. If you received communication from Facebook stating that this incident impacted you, it would be a good idea to change your passwords. Frequently changing your password is always a good habit to secure your various accounts now and in the future.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your account privacy?
- Use safe password practices when creating online accounts, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Stay up to date on the news regarding recent data breaches and exposures to see if you may have been affected