By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-973770.mp3
Albany, NY – Online services including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn serve as communications networks between various groups of people and wherever there are people, there is crime. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports that Social Media is now the preferred avenue for online scammers as well as hackers: both looking to steal information.
In some cases they don't have to look very hard: individuals with an online presence often can't tell the difference between a legitimate ad and a scam: and the personal information they volunteer is virtually unprotected.
Recently, Facebook users reported being attacked by Zeus, a financial trojan that steals banking information and other personally identifiable details, and Koobface, which harvests credit card numbers.
Leslie Trosset is a Social Media Expert at Biz Tech Link in Albany. She points out that there is legislation introduced by a California senator that would force social networks to make default settings "private" forcing users to choose their privacy settings when they register for a site.
A 2010 survey by anti-virus softwaremaker Norton found 44% of people who use social media have been victims of cybercrime perpetrated via a social network - viruses, online credit fraud, unsolicited pornography, excessive spam and bogus messages sent by fraudsters posing as banks and retail companies.
Lisa Harris is Director of the New York State Department of State Division of Consumer Protection - she warns consumers to keep up their guard when making purchases online. Leslie Trosset adds that COMPANIES should also monitor social media for leaks of secure information.
Officals at The Center for Internet Security in East Greenbush, suggest posting only information you would be comfortable disclosing to a complete stranger.
Everyone should boost privacy settings on social networking sites that they frequent to make it harder for people to post content on their pages. If you don't know how to change those settings, the directions are easily Googled.