Social networking sites have gifted conmen with a raft
of new criminal opportunities, according to security
experts.
The problem is that end-users seem to suspend all rational
judgement when dealing with people online, according to Mark
Zielinski, security engineer with
Arbor Networks'
security engineering and response team.
"[Users'] exploits in
social networking are an increasing concern - enterprise IT
staffs are suddenly getting slammed with yet another set of
security problems," said Zielinski.
Social networks offer the worst possible scenario for security
experts. "Getting to people has always been a more effective method
of stealing from a company than hacking. With social networks, the
criminals are getting the best of both worlds," he said.
A particular problem is that social networking applications have
somehow mutated from being a consumer network into enterprise
tools, warned Ryan Olson, US-based analyst for
VeriSign's iDefense malicious code operations.
"Thousands of new applications are being developed for users.
While they enrich functionality, they present a perfect channel for
distributing malware. The potential for disaster is all there," he
said.
John Safa, chief technology officer at data security company
DriveSentry, constantly monitors the activities of fraudsters
and hackers in chatrooms and forums. He warned "[a social
networking site] is like a nightclub where you can meet strangers
you believe want to be your friends. Before you know it you have
handed them the keys to your car and your wallet."
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