Facebook’s Big Security Problem Could Be Its Downfall

By Greg Reber, CEO, AsTech Consulting

Facebook application developers were recently suspended after being caught selling user information to data brokers. While it is no secret that Facebook makes its profits off of targeted advertising, what is more disturbing is that the social networking site has become a stomping-ground for sexual predators, phishers, unscrupulous marketers, and now friends and family.

Facebook has become the backbone for keeping in contact with friends and family, and businesses now use it for viral marketing purposes. However, if the bad guys continue to take over the social network, they could possibly put the brakes on its growth. Can you imagine the sequel of the “The Social Network” being all about the downfall of Facebook due to security? It could happen.

In addition, Facebook’s new foray into unified messaging could potentially open up a bigger gap for hackers and fraudsters to target its 500 million users. First, this new messaging feature will expand Facebook users’ connectivity to other “friends,” broadening the possibilities for the bad guys to attack. Second, by having all communications – email, instant message and Facebook messages – in one location, users are far more vulnerable to chances this personal data could fall into the wrong hands with potentially devastating effects.

Will all these blatant security vulnerabilities keep users off Facebook? That is hard to predict. Though, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance, 64 percent of Americans have abandoned online shopping due to security concerns. If people are beginning to stop shopping online, perhaps the same thing could happen with Facebook?

Unfortunately, it is human nature to follow the flock, and the herd mentality that has captured Facebook users could be detrimental. Much like the Native Americans would drive herds of buffalos off of cliffs, Facebook, in many ways, is herding its users towards a very steep and dangerous precipice. And, since Facebook has become so ingrained in our everyday lives, we will not be able to see the massive cliff that lay only footsteps away.

About the Author:

Greg Reber is the founder and CEO of AsTech Consulting. Since 1997, AsTech has helped Fortune 1000 companies meet the challenge of securing their information assets. In 2001, AsTech was among the first to see the emerging threat posed by customer-facing Internet applications and developed an application vulnerability assessment solution which has continuously evolved to meet today’s threat environment head-on..