DIGITAL SOCIAL NETWORKING
What are social networking sites?
Social networking sites (SNSs) like facebook, twitter, orkut, bebo are built upon the concept of customary
social networks where one connects to new people through people you already know. The purpose of
networking sites was purely social initially which was focused on making new friendships with no border
limitations. However, later, these sites became a useful medium for advertisements of businesses and the
work of celebrities.
Although the graphical layout of social networking sites differ, they all allow to provide information about the
person using it and offer some type of communication mechanism (forums, chat rooms, email, instant
messenger) that enables one to connect with other users. On some sites, people having certain criteria like
education, work, location etc. can be found and sent an invitation to become friend.
Uses of social networking websites
New uses are now being seen as the popularity of internet and SNSs are on rise.
The main reason of emerging trends in social networking sites is the concept of "real time communication."
Real time communication let users to contribute content, which is then broadcasted as soon as it is uploaded.
Facebook, Orkut and Twitter work on this principle which are the most used networking sites in Pakistan.
One popular use for this new technology is social networking between businesses. Companies have found that
social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are great ways to build their brand image. These
companies become able to attract online users’ traffic to their own online sites while encouraging their
consumers and clients to have discussions on how to improve or change products or services. For this service
they have to pay to the sites mostly on per-click basis.
One other use that is being in fashion is the sharing of knowledge by professionals. Finance, marketing,
medical and engineering professionals are leading this competition. They share their views and get feedback
from their colleagues, students, teachers and net-friends. They think it to be necessary for their professional
development as well as their market reputation and goodwill.
Social networks are also being used by teachers and students as a communication tool. Teachers and
professors are doing everything from creating chat-room forums and groups to extend classroom discussion to
posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with homework outside of the classroom setting.
Teachers
are also using these sites to offer their services to students who are already on these sites in large numbers.
Moreover, students are using these sites for creating job and internship opportunities for them. For this
purpose LinkedIn is the best social networking site. This site has gained so much acceptability that it is now
considered an additional plus point to include the profile address to one’s own resume.
Security issues of social sites
Social networking sites rely mostly on anonymous connections and communication, so they encourage
providing a certain amount of personal information. When deciding how much information to reveal, people
may not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting someone in person because the
internet provides a sense of anonymity and hence a feeling of security and people want to offer insights to
impress potential friends or associates.
While the majority of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them
because of the accessibility and amount of personal information that's available. The more information
malicious and fraudulent people have about the person, the easier it is for them to take advantage of him. In a
poll by internet security firm Sophos, it was found that more than 60 per cent of people viewed Facebook to
pose the biggest threat of spam and viruses.
Moreover, profiles on online SNSs can be downloaded and stored by third parties, creating a digital database
of personal data.
SN members disclose personal information using the network itself e.g. length of connections, other users’
profiles visited and messages sent. SNSs provide a central repository accessible to a single provider. The high
value of SNSs suggests that such data is being used to considerable financial gain.
Additionally, because of the popularity of these sites, attackers may use them to distribute malicious code.
Sites that offer applications developed by third parties are particularly susceptible. Attackers may be able to
create customized applications that appear to be innocent while infecting your computer without your
knowledge.
Nowadays, a big issue of fake profiles has risen here in Pakistan. Fake people are pretending to be celebrities,
players and political personalities to develop their network just for their own satisfaction or there may be
some criminal minds working behind this activity.
Employee misdeeds have increased and are a constant threat to the companies. Disclosure of company’s
confidential information is of great market and strategy loss to the company. Of course you know that your
employees know that too. However, while their prowl on these social networking sites and give away their
personal information, they also mention where they work. Now identity thieves can reconstruct all sorts of
information from similar profiles and misuse it.
Protecting yourself
Although always on the danger end, one can save oneself by adhering to the following safety measures at the
minimum:
Do not accept pop-ups or prompts for software, unless you are armed with web scanner software
which checks each site for infections prior to access.
Do not ever provide, post, or submit any confidential personal data (e.g. banking details).
Do not accept friend requests or request friends that you personally do not know.
Protect your account with strong passwords that cannot easily be guessed. Never auto save your
password information, and clear your history at regular intervals. Also keep changing your
password. The online survey conducted by AVG and the CMO Council has shown that 64 percent of
users never change their password.
Do not use SNSs on public computers.
Never post your personal information that you would not like strangers (internet friends) to know. Do
not post your schedules as well.
Installing Anti-virus software protects you from most known viruses and shields your computer
against them, so you may be able to detect and remove the virus before damage done. Keep it update
as well. Anti hacking software may also help.
Profile privacy should be set to maximum so that the unknown people can see the minimum
information on your profile unless you add them as your friend.
Click the links with care.
Save your children
You take every decision about your children about everything. Why allow them to be on their own while on
internet where they are exposed to every danger.
1. It is rightly said keeping an eye on the friends of the children is more important than keeping an eye
on your own children. Always check who the friends of your children are.
2. Check regularly what sites your children visit.
3. Talk to them to avoid sex talk. I agree it would be difficult in our society. However, at the minimum
keep the PC at an open place in the house where everyone can see what is being done on internet.
4. Limit the time which your kids spend on internet.
5. Ensure the proper maintaining of logs of what is being done by children in your absence.
6. Make your children aware of the misinformation and hate spread on internet.
7. Enlighten them about what to post on internet. Tell them that any information posted cannot be
taken back even if deleted.
8. Ensure your kids do not use full names or post very personal photographs.
9. Ensure that your children never meet any person with whom they were connected on internet
without any previous relation.
What to expect in 2010?
Not only has the volume of threats escalated dramatically, but the delivery methods have become more
sophisticated. Cyber criminals increasingly leverage the headlines or news of the day to attack unsuspecting
consumers. Celebrity death or scandals, natural disasters will be used by criminals to find a way to conceal
their malware in the headlines you want to read and the bits of conversation you're already having.
The hubs of communication, Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, MySpace, will become major targets for cyber
criminals, McAfee predicts.
Although consumers know to be wary of Web links sent by strangers, they tend to trust Web links and e-mail
messages sent by friends and family. But online attackers are learning how to exploit that trust, by delivering
malware that appears to come from Facebook friends, Twitter followers and friends' e-mail accounts.
Are you addicted to social networking?
You are a social networking addict when:
1. You lose sleep over SNSs.
2. Your mind is thinking about getting onto internet even when at other work.
3. The thought of getting offline pinches you.
SNSs... The unleashed evils?
Is it really true? Can we do better and live peacefully by leaving social networking and step back again into
non-digital mediums for social interaction and that also to a limited boundary? No, this won’t work, as social
networking has established foothold in the everyday lives of millions and according to Globe Scan Poll, 75
percent of the people of the world consider internet as basic necessity of life.
The perceived value of SNSs far surpasses the potential threats. Now, the question of security becomes of
utmost importance for which the people need to be educated at the Government level just for a short time.
