The Risks of Social Networking

Social networks are an inherent part of today’s Internet and used by more than a billion people worldwide. They allow people to share ideas and interact with other people, from old friends to strangers. This interaction reveals a lot of information, often including personal information
visible to anyone who wants to view it. Hence privacy is often a key concern by the users. Since millions of people are willing to interact with others, it is also a new attack ground for malware authors. They are spreading malicious code and sending spam messages by taking advantage of the users’ inherent trust in their relationship network. This paper will illustrate and discuss the most prevalent issues and threats targeting different social networks today.

Download PDF