Social Security Threats

Social media Security Threats | Facebook |Instagram| Twitter etc.

Social networking websites have become an easy platform for cybercrime.  cybercriminals exploit sensitive and private information for committing identity theft or attracting innocent teenagers ( into sexual trap and other illegal activities). It is common for users of social websites to share information; however, they lose on social networking sites.

Following are the various threats and risks associated with social networking sites.

1. Phishing

Phishing is the practice of obtaining private information in a fraudulent manner. Phishing emails are legitimate looking emails that makes user believe in them. An email may appear by the name of trustworthy company or website requesting you to update your information. Social networking website contain user's archived messages, user's interest, their hobbies etc. Frauds may use this information to before users by sending attractive emails of their interests and making them believe those are authentic ones.

Social sites require a user name and password for logging in. These are susceptible to phishing attacks. A user may receive a fake mail with a link that may redirect him to login page. When the user logs in on the page l, the attacker is able to capture the keystrokes and gain access to the user's genuine login details.

Users must be careful when clicking email attachment and links received. For example, a user may receive a mail to reset the password of their account which was never requested for. Such mails can be phishing emails, trying to steal the information.

2. Malware

Malware refers to malicious code or program that attackers develop to harm or damage user's security. The imposters aim to install malware on the user's Machine. For this purpose, they make use of spam mails or mails with false attachment. Attackers observe the user's activities and hide malware on n the form of links. When the user unknowingly clicks such links, the malware gets downloaded automatically on the user's computer.

Other than this, there are variety of methods used by attackers to spread malware on social media websites, such as harmful tweets and direct message.

1. Be cautions, while clicking any link.
2. Do not post something vulnerable to attacks.
3. Secure your profile by enabling privacy settings.
4. Always use an antivirus program

3. Site Flaws

Errors and bugs in social networking sites offer a chance to attackers to access user information, even though all privacy settings are applied. Attackers take advantage of such flaws to the fullest. The site flaws also enable attackers to track transmitted packets and modify them during transmission and propagation, performing injection attacks and creating backdoors to the social sites. Backdoor is a technique in which a system security mechanism is bypassed without detection to access computer data.

4. URL Spoofing

URL Spoofing is the act of misleading a user to different website by sending a legitimate looking URL, but the URL sent is a false or forged URL. The spoofed URL looks exactly like the original URL or website. When clicked, such URLs redirect user's users to malicious websites. URL Spoofing is performed to commit cybercrime, such as phishing and various scams. The forged. URL is sent to as many target victim as possible.

5. Clickjacking

Clickjacking is the attempt to hide malicious programs in the garb of legitimate buttons or links. The main aim is to trick the user info clicking these links or buttons which further triggers the downloading of hidden   there by allowing the attacker to access the computer. Clickjacking is also known as user interface redress attacks or UI Redress attacks or UI Redressing.

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) Scripting language is used to create a malicious link and use a transparent layer to embed it over the actual link. Clickjacking may results in the installation of a virus, worm or trojan horse.

The different types of clickjacking techniques that are practiced are: Cursorjacking and Likejacking. Facebook is the common target for Likejacking, where when a user clicks on the video, instead of playing the video, the link triggers a like button for the content.