Here’s a link to a really great resource about guarding against what I call sociological hacking. Others call it social engineering, not the kind that the government tries to foist upon us, but the kind that hackers employ to get through the weakest defense of a computer network, the human mind.
The European Network & Information Security Agency has produced a great overview of the problem that presents itself in social networks: people masquerading as others to get into your friend or professional network. Well, you may be thinking, “So what? What harm could that do to me?” Probably nothing if you kept your virtual mouth shut. But that’s not what social networks are about, are they? SNs are about opening up and advising your friends and co-workers on you status, latest thoughts, latest activities, future activities, business trips, interactions with that guy or gal in the next cube, etc.
If there is someone in your network who’s not really who they claim to be, you might just be giving them juicy tidbits that they might be able to leverage against you. Like what? Well, like your birthdate for one. Put that little tidbit together with other personal info that’s even easier to surf and voila you might just have yourself a nasty case of identity theft. Or perhaps you like to update all on your travel status, taking a business trip here or there, or some personal time at some other location. In certain circumstances, giving us that TMI is like putting a sign on your house saying, “Hey all you Nasties out there, there’s no one home here.” A little, or perhaps a lot, of discretion should be practiced.
Well, anyway, check out the link and you’ll get a better picture of what I mean.
She raises the question of how reliable that information will be if it’s brought to you by a paid “digital butler” rather than a trusted friend. Touché, Judy. That’s the essence of the social web. To have information passed to you by that friend you’ve come to trust. Not a digital butler than does your mercenaric bidding.
