Why Twitter, Facebook ?

[SaferNet4All]

I've pretty well said it.

Seems these places are a disaster waiting to happen / have happened as far as personal information, and Security to Forums.

Is it just a form of advertising for company's, I can't imagine the social pressure is that great to induce security sites to be wanting to be seen on the "celebrity" red carpet .

I'm sure there's a good reason that everywhere I go Twitter, Facebook are prominently place at the top of each page, it just escapes me .

My experience:

Someone (aquantaince) invited me to join Facebook, so I did.

I looked at my profile after a week and so much information had been trolled that it scared the pants of me. i.e. Videos I'd rated as Good from Youtube and other sites were classed as having been rated on facebook, with thumbnail previews, enough thanks, I got outa there very quickly.

I don't leave any cookies after a session, I suppose they have my IP Address, it astounded me they bothered, too soft a word, "went to great lengths" to thumbnail a video I'd rated at another site, for someone who prides themselves as being a clean surfer, I found it really frightening.

I'm sure there's an intelligent kindly member just chuffing at the bit to explain this trivia to the security conscious naivetes

Plus , "Why do you Twitter, and Facebook ?"

[mountaintree16]

I use the social networking site to keep in touch with people I might otherwise have a harder time keeping in touch with.

One issue you might have is, I think by default (and this is super uncool) they have the box checked off to give your Facebook a public search listing and subject your profile to indexing. To change this, go to your profile, next to your name click on Settings. Then after you are directed to that page, scroll down, click on manage near Privacy. Then click on Profile (or Search) and there should be that check box I was telling you about. Uncheck it! Make sure you save the newly selected setting. Then, check the rest of your privacy settings. I recommend having it all on friends only, but do whatever you prefer to have other people be able to view on your profile.

[noknojon]

Hi SaferNet4All -

As mountaintree16 said just 'social networking' - I am not a great fan of these, but if you ever use MSN chat or Yahoo messenger or any of the similar contact systems to message your friends, then you are using a similar (not quite the same) system -

Even if you send emails to people and get replies from them that is also similar - It is another form of person to person contact over the internet -

You have posted on a forum that asked you to disclose some information to register, so now they have some (minimal) record of you -

[mountaintree16]

Yeah I don't like that they want all that info. I don't use my real bday and they certainly never ever get my full name

And I don't put any contact information on their either. My friends already have it, and social networking sites don't need it!

[js9600]

Yesterday I was bored and "tested" one the daily new wonder programs (from one the reputable download sites of course) - yet another registry cleaner. With new record of "errors" btw, 6000+ Will fix a stunning 25 unless you pay. Well it got flushed out of course. So today I noticed a certain new account was following me on twitter, account of the company who make that program. I never gave program email or anything. Cant really figure it out but marketing has superpowers - and I did not analyze what took place during install either! So once you sign up, join "community" much more than you ask for might follow. For a moment he had a peek into my "life stream" We were "connected".

The thing about removing cookies is like futile if you have a full blown account on Facebook and you take part in the social fun. In fact many (old as dust) privacy concerns are just not relevant any more Facebook can be pretty tight though, search for "guide security facebook" or something. In relation to Facebook, or whatever other service, you are definitely a number in a segment - waiting to be marketed to and for the purpose of improving your use of features of course Many people think that is way cool, they actually want "relevant" ads, offers. Tons of personal preference with this. If you do what you can to use separate accounts for each service, become slippery as soap to marketing, avoiding having a detectable "life stream", some will go why? like you are making a mistake.

But you asked why. Facebook to get to know the horror and twitter because it is used by some cool people, like 1 out of 1000. Is carefully selecting Many dif. apps to use as notification tools. Twitterfall is my favorite online one http://twitterfall.com/ So how is the current vibes about Malwarebytes? Let us search. Has some information value and entertainment. I don't tweet as such. More like a dif. rss feeder to me really.

[js9600]

I don't exclude Facebooks powers in getting in touch with old friends and all that. All good. Just have a problem using it 50%. If you always are concerned and don't really want to take part of anything, then what is the point of adding contacts? Many of them might only know Facebook. So while somewhat tempting it is also not an option because too much such at that site. Being fake on Facebook seems weird, must join with full actual for real profile to really get into it

[noknojon]

@ mountaintree16 -

I know what you mean - Only my Yahoo email is given (as I can cancel it any time) and I wait till I know a forum or other private group prior to giving any more info - This is generally one of the better forums , so I first like to PM others and find out what is going on -

To me personally F/book is a little over the top (as we have Yahoo Messenger for all our contacts) but I manage the one my wife has set up -

I delete any obvious silly things and tend to run a quick MBAM or SAS scan after any of the 'long' sessions -

[SaferNet4All]

The convenience of keeping in touch with friends and Family is obviously a good one, which I've heard often.

Thanks mountaintree16 for sensible advice about immediately checking all the privacy settings, I generally whizz into My Control panel at any site I join and adjust Email and contact settings accordingly, I'd have done so I'm sure on Facebook.

In fact, I'm like a ghost that only moves in the darkest of night as far as security and have been trained in Malware Cleaning, so I was surprised at how good Facebook was at linking me up to other sites on the Web.

I use disposable Email accounts, cryptic Usernames, very long / strong passwords but they dug deeper obviously using my IP Adress, and maybe my ISP, i.e. location, phone numbers are easy to find if you have the right software and some frugal details - whatever, the mind boggles .

Bit beyond what I would consider being a bit of a nuisance.

Once I deleted the account the terms are, "After two weeks expire and you haven't logged in, all information will be destroyed, along with your Account."

I was also actually wondering why malwarebytes.org, and many other companies and security forums are advertising these sites ?

If I couldn't handle their tactics I suppose Security sites like this and others similar have very strong protection against any phising attacks, and probing, in fact I know they pride themselves on it, especially after the horrible collapse of CastleCops early this year. Maybe I'm making too much of this but ...

[exile360]

I commented on the Facebook/Twitter thing when they posted about it here, but the reality is social networking is clearly here to stay considering the incredible and ever increasing popularity of FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter. It makes sense for any reputable business to use such sites for news, updates, interaction with users, as well as advertising and that's why I believe Malwarebytes' chose to do so, although I certainly can't speak for them. I can't really hold it against them for doing so, it's the same reason they, and others like them, use sites like Download.com, even though it's never my first choice for downloads, many regular computer users frequent that site and look for the top rated products to decide what they will use. Again, from a business standpoint it makes plenty of sense, and I know for a fact that MBAM is always going after the newest baddies that pop up on sites like FaceBook and Twitter very aggressively so for their users (who would likely be the majority of the visitors of their pages), they would have protection against the types of threats that those sites can frequently contain.

In fact, the only reason those sites get hit with malware so frequently is because of their popularity, combined with the fact that they allow the uploading of user generated scripts and content. It makes for an easy target for malicious scripts, drive-by downloads and phishing attacks. It's down to the user and whether or not they're educated and whether they wish to use those types of sites or not. Personally, I do not, but almost everyone with a PC and the internet that I know does.

[mountaintree16]

@ Exile

uploading of user generated scripts and content. It makes for an easy target for malicious scripts, drive-by downloads and phishing attacks.

I didn't know that. I know that MySpace allows much more than Facebook though, which is one reason I don't use it anymore. I hope Facebook doesn't allow this (scripts and similar potentially scary items) as well, I don't think it does but I can't be totally sure.

[goldhound]

I am sure these social networking apps are a boon for businesses. They attract the younger crowd where the money is (follow the money).

My kids have worked on me for a long while to join Facebook. My response has always been, if you wish to be lazy concerning contacting your family and "real" friends by putting up the equivalent of a mass mailing update every day, be my guest. If you wish to speak to me personally you have my email and phone number.

It is fine for those who want or feel they need it, just not for me cause i'm a crabby old dude who hates to be led around by the nose, not to mention giving the world a better chance to hack me.

[Marcus]

"Ditto" to that, goldhound.

I don't have a FaceBook, MySpace or a Twitter account. Never have had.

The few friends I have can speak with me on the phone, email me or lord forbid, do something really really old-fashioned like..err..actually come up to see me and, now don't go and faint at this point, but..actually might stay over for a day or two?

And I have even been known to write the odd letter; to those of you who don't know what that is please ask politely(!) of your parents / grandparents / anybody past their teenage years.

(Having just read goldhound's quoting of me below a little grammar and typo tinkering is called for. See effect above and compare).

EDITED (just a bit and more than once!): can't be seen to be making spelling mistakes and grammatical improprieties (remember those?) at my age! Not good for my image. Especially with what I've just typed!!

[goldhound]

"Ditto" to that, goldhound.

I don't have a FaceBook, MySpace or a Twitter account. Never have had.

The few friends I have can speak with me on the phone, email me or lord forbid, do something really really old-fashioned like..err..actually come to see you and, now don't go and faint at this point, but..actually might stay over for a day or two.

And I have even been known to write the odd letter; fo those of you who don't know what they are ask your parents / granparents / anybody post their teenage years.

You know of course that the younguns are gonna hate us for this, right Marcus? :)

To each their own and the group here are good, they will forgive, won't you guys and gals?

[Raid]

You know of course that the younguns are gonna hate us for this, right Marcus?

To each their own and the group here are good, they will forgive, won't you guys and gals?

Oh, I suppose.. Just this once tho.. <G>

[exile360]

@ Exile

I didn't know that. I know that MySpace allows much more than Facebook though, which is one reason I don't use it anymore. I hope Facebook doesn't allow this (scripts and similar potentially scary items) as well, I don't think it does but I can't be totally sure.

Well, I was just reading how on Facebook they were using malicious Flash content to run scripts and site redirects to install malware on peoples' systems .

As for the reason people use these types of sites, especially those who aren't "teenagers" Note: I am neither a teenager, nor do I use any social networking sites is to keep in contact with those who can't just come up and visit, such as the people they meet on other sites, such as forums, that might be from other parts of the world, or for business contacts as much commerce occurs online these days, as well as old friends and relatives that live in different parts of the world/country. I understand its appeal, I just don't use it because as in my real life, I'm just not very social on the net. I talk to people on this forum primarily and that's about it. In the real world I've got 2 friends that I actively talk to, one is in another part of the country so we talk on the phone and the other lives here so I can go and visit him and we play cards .

[SaferNet4All]

Hey thankyou for all your feedback !

exile360:

It makes sense for any reputable business to use such sites for news, updates, interaction with users, as well as advertising and that's why I believe Malwarebytes' chose to do so, although I certainly can't speak for them.

I get that, plus on reflection the more popular a SocialNetwork site is the harder the bad guy's are gonna target it. On the flip side it's a great place for security analysts to study methods of Malware infiltration and learn techniques plus threats .

Glad I asked a seemingly silly question .

The big issue is the customisied pages people "create", from scripts they find online. These are potentially the greatest threat I think as the "tweaker" has no idea what they are applying to their page. They just want the best looking page, which to the script illiterate could be carrying a dandy time bomb of Malware nastiness to all visitors, a great present for friends and Family.

I would suppose a Good AntiVirus and Firewall, Browser, script blocker, (etc) should/could/would alert a passer by that the page is unsafe ?

Which reminds me I'm just going to update my HOSTS file .

[exile360]

I get that, plus on reflection the more popular a SocialNetwork site is the harder the bad guy's are gonna target it.

Exactly, see the second paragraph here .

The big issue is the customisied pages people "create", from scripts they find online. These are potentially the greatest threat I think as the "tweaker" has no idea what they are applying to their page. They just want the best looking page, which to the script illiterate could be carrying a dandy time bomb of Malware nastiness to all visitors, a great present for friends and Family.

Exactly, plus much of the content people embedd in their pages, such as videos, images etc come from another source, meaning that if the source of the image or video is compromised, so is every bit of content linked to it on other pages. That's how ads often become carriers of malware, even without the actual vendor's knowlege.

I would suppose a Good AntiVirus and Firewall, Browser, script blocker, (etc) should/could/would alert a passer by that the page is unsafe ?

That's the idea, and Malwarebytes' already has at least part of that covered with the IP Protection mechanism in the paid version. If a page contains content linked from a malicious URL, the malicious content is blocked but the rest of the page is still viewable. For scripts and driveby downloads not hosted on unsafe servers, it would be up to your browser's security and your antivirus to guard you.

[goldhound]

All of the above is the reason i put the paid version on my wife's laptop also. She is younger than me and of course is easily swayed by the kids and grandkids so has a Facebook page. I doubt that she will ever read this so i feel safe in my smugness........ :)

[YoKenny1]

Be careful what you put on Facebook:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/20...e-benefits.html

[mountaintree16]

@ Exile

Well, I was just reading how on Facebook they were using malicious Flash content to run scripts and site redirects to install malware on peoples' systems

Oh no!!! Is this on the site in general or if you happen to go to a bogus profile/fan page or something?

[exile360]

I'd imagine it could be any Flash video that someone puts up as they often are not the originators of the content themselves, but link to it from other sources. If the other source has been compromised or is downright malicious deliberately then... .

[mountaintree16]

@ Exile

I am like this close to deleting my account... lol but I'll hold out a while longer. Anyway, I'll disable Flash whilst using Facebook, muhaha lol

The big issue is the customisied pages people "create", from scripts they find online. These are potentially the greatest threat I think as the "tweaker" has no idea what they are applying to their page. They just want the best looking page, which to the script illiterate could be carrying a dandy time bomb of Malware nastiness to all visitors, a great present for friends and Family.

Exactly, plus much of the content people embedd in their pages, such as videos, images etc come from another source, meaning that if the source of the image or video is compromised, so is every bit of content linked to it on other pages. That's how ads often become carriers of malware, even without the actual vendor's knowlege.

I don't think that Facebook has much or any of that going on, but I know that MySpace does for sure, and hi5! Facebook allows embedded videos, pictures, etc... but you have to actually click on them to see them (they show a thumbnail picture and a link when posted), and I think it pretty much allows youtube and I am not sure about the pictures.