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Flip side of social networking

Photo: M. Vedhan

Cautious moves Be wary of the negative side

The 1980s and 90s witnessed a silent technological revolution that changed the order of the world. The technological marvel broke barriers and shrunk the diverse and vast globe to one big village. From what happened to be a small defence experiment, the revolution spread to the corporate world and to the living rooms of the people and it was named Internet or World Wide Web. The high-speed information super highway became the most sought after connecting model, connecting people and establishments across the seven seas with the mere click of a button.

If Internet revolutionised the world, then the concept of connecting people received a new dimension with the advent of the social networking sites, in the new millennium. Social networking websites are nothing but virtual communities or virtual club houses. They allow like-minded people to interact and exchange ideas, pictures and videos. After becoming a member of a networking site like Facebook, Ibibo, MySpace, Bebo, Club Penguin and Apna Circle, one can connect with family members and friends through the online facilities like chat, emails, sub-groups and status updates.

The sites have caught the imagination of the young and the old alike. They are supposed to be ‘coolest sites’ on the World Wide Web, as they enable you to connect and communicate with friends and family, reconnect with old dudes, enable you to meet people across the globe, allows you to share ideas, photos and videos and enhances your social and creative life. A recent Nielsen survey has rated social networking sites, as more popular over emails.

Social networking sites have a number of advantages. They have also become the most sought after medium for career growth. However, despite the real benefits that social media tools can bring, it seems that the adoption of these tools is taking place without much control, or guidance or education, leaving individuals or corporate exposed to cyber threats. It is fast becoming a major playground for cyber criminals.

Recently anti-India elements targeted the former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s famed community group on Orkut to host malicious content. Many users across the globe were fleeced of huge sums by cyber criminals who duplicated a friend’s homepage with full log-in details obtained through the hacking tool of phishing. The hackers pretend to be a known friend who is stranded in some distant country and needs some urgent financial support. Many gullible users have despatched the amount requested with the idea of helping a friend, as the homepage looked authentic.

“Social networking will become prime targets for malware authors in the coming days. With the increase in traffic, the number of malicious activities will continue to proliferate. Therefore, users of these community sites should continue to be wary of messages received, even if supposedly sent from friends.

“For example, a new hacking tool circulating on the Internet allows malicious users to create fake YouTube pages designed to deliver malware. With some crafty social engineering, unsuspecting users may visit the first of the fake pages, where they discover they cannot view their video and are told to download an updated version of Adobe Flash Player or another plugin or codec. A link is handily provided, and clicking the link leads users to the hacker’s file of choice. A second fake page informs users that the video they were trying to view cannot be shown, making users think nothing has occurred when, in fact, downloading the supposed plugin imported malware. This is extremely dangerous,” says the Country Manager of Trend Micro Amit Nath.

Trend Micro is engaged in addressing these problems by designing Internet security systems that are smart and up-to-date in protection of your home network against present and future threats without slowing down the PC.

Not to reveal much and surf safe are the mantras to keep malicious users at bay. Personal profile pages that users create about themselves are the lifeline of these sites. These are linked to their friends’ pages and to the friends of their friends, and so on. The more information shared, wider the circle grows. Although, most of the sites provide different levels of privacy settings, but that does not mean that the information shared by the user is really secured. The fact of the matter is that the more the information shared, more vulnerable the user becomes. Identity theft is a major concern in the Internet arena.

In spite of the encouragement by different social networking sites to import content or download third-party applications, it is advisable not to do that. This approach at times can be exploited by the criminals, as a way of malicious code into the system or network. The best way to guard against such threats is to opt for appropriate Internet Security solution. It is also not a bad idea to update the web browser, which will also help in patching up against the virus.

Networking sites are also used by predators, cyber bullies and paedophiles searching for possible victims. Networking sites are highly popular among teenagers and children. It is extremely important for the parents to educate the children about safe online behaviour and at the same time update themselves on the technological front.

Get involved

Talk to your kids and set limits

Check for warning signs

Encourage kids to report in-appropriate behaviour

Educate your kids on the flip side

Install appropriate Internet security systems

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