Cyber Threats in Social Media Technologies

This report discusses the different cyber threats in social media technologies, such as celebrity name misuse, spreading spam and malware, targeted phishing attacks, and more. It provides insights into the impact of these threats and offers recommendations on how to protect oneself from them.

CYBER THREATS IN
SOCIAL MEDIA
TECHNOLOGIES
Name - Bussa Rahul
ID -1722167
Course- MSc International Bussiness
Block- Intercultural Bussiness And competencies

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Develop the ideas logically as full as possible.............................................................................1
Different component of problem and now keeping an appropriate balance................................3
Explain and justify the points made, presenting supporting evidence where appropriate. You
can use theories or data or both but always support your statements, otherwise they could be
seen as ‘hearsay’..........................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Cyber threat in the social media technology is the malicious act that is being seek to
damage the data, steal data and disrupt the digital life in general. As these cyber attacks includes
the threats such as computer viruses, breach of data as well as denial of service attacks. Most
common type of cyber threats are phishing, password attack, leakage of personal data etc. this
report contains the general view that indicates the ideas that develops logically in the context of
cyber threats in Social Media Technologies that are misuse the name of celebrity, spreading
spam and malware, fake accounts, leakage of information, confidential information leak.
MAIN BODY
Develop the ideas logically as full as possible
Facebook is the social media networking site facing the issues of social media threats as many
users target the Facebook for scam as many hackers is using the Facebook messenger service as
a platform that may turn into the huge cyber threat. Facebook is one of the most common and
used social networking sites in this one can communicate to others, can share their views, photos
and can also tag photos (Cerrudo, 2015). One can also make the groups of people who shares the
common interest, create the pages, can join the groups and can do many more things. Some of
the threats are :
Celebrity name misuse
This is one of the most popular threat of social media many incidents of hackers is
registering the new account even on the name of celebrity. Fake account is being used to spread
the misinformation and rumours so that they can attract the new followers that can be spammed
later. The gravity in these threats lies that hackers can use social media so that they can extract
the personal information and later they misuse it (Gunitsky, 2015).
Spreading spam and malware
As Facebook is the social networking sites is often used to spread the malware. Growing
popularity of short URLs give rise to many social media threats. As cyber criminal is often mask
to the link by making the short URL as it is difficult for the user to identify that whether it is
being pointing to the legitimate as well as malicious site. This threat is considered as the real
possibility for social bookmarking and to the micro belonging sites and spread the link as well as
news in very short span of time.
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Targeted phishing attacks
Such attacks is being created and carried out to steal the money as well as confidential
information as it is in the case of hydra q attacks that is being happened due to the criticl
information is being leaked. As the Social media threat is one of the example of social
engineering tactics, whereby attackers exploit fear and anxiety, instead of system vulnerability to
get users to part with their money. As these attacks is very specific and targeted, having chances
of success is higher.
Confidential information leak
It is the scariest threat of Facebook where the employees start revealing as it seems
uncritical technical information to public as Facebook stated that the user is fed up in configuring
for the particular firewall of product at work this indicates that the user is fed up in configuring a
particular firewall. An attacker can use this information to identify the security of software of
user and company as well.
Site Compromise
As the attacker compromise the social networking site from the code that is malicious
than any visitor of the site can suspect to attack. Hackers also find the ways so that they insert
malicious code to advertisements and can create the rogue third-party applications, from that the
users and ultimately compromise their computers or gather their personal information.
Fake accounts
Fake account can actively push for the request connection to random people, that most
people is being accepted without even knowing that who is that fictitious woman. The
seriousness of having this social media threats is getting underscored when one considered that
having the fake account in this case is successful while connecting to hundreds of people from
several organisations that includes military, government and security firms.
Social engineering
In today world this social engineering is one of the most prevalent social media threats
and also the most popular tactic for cyber criminals. Social media platforms allows the attackers
to find personal information so that it can be used to target specific individuals. They use the
information of the employees and their profiles to make the fake account or can take the personal
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details can be taken over the time. Once the trust is built, the attacker might start asking for
specific information, like internal server names, project names, or even have the new friend open
an infected document or visit a prepared website that will drop a backdoor onto their computer.
Traditional Network Threats
There is commonly two types of security issues is there in which first is security of
people and another one is security of computers that the people use as well as the data that is
being stored in their systems. As the social media is having the enormous numbers of users at the
same they can store huge amount of data as they are doing the natural targets, spammers,
phishing as well as malicious attacks. Online social attacks includes the identity, theft,
defamation that injured the personal dignity as well as cyber bulling. As the hackers mainly
creates the false profile and mimic personalities (Cerrudo, 2015).
Leakage of information
The privacy in having the online social networks is being jeopardised as it is having the
adversary that can easily become the friends and the members to have the restricted group by
dissembling the identity and can assess to the private information that is being belong to the
members of that particular group. Since, the potential risk that is associated from this threat is
information leakage, phishing for the new information and conduct the spamming as well as
marketing campaigns.
Consider the different aspects of the problem but keep an appropriate balance – do not develop
one section to the exclusion of others
Different component of problem and now keeping an appropriate balance
There are having the many problems by using the social media networking as the coin is
having the two sides there are many benefits at the same many negative threats are also
associated with it as it allows to communicate to any person in the world at the same it also
having the cyber threats while using the Facebook so it is very important for the users to user this
networking sites in a wise manner so it can not harm to them otherwise from this the personal
and professional information both can be leaked and can be misused. This are the sufficient
information that one can make its misuse.
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Intelligence for the cyber threat
Advanced threat actors that is the nation states, organised cybercriminals and the cyber
espionage that represents the greatest information in the security threat for the enterprises of
today. Many of the organisation is doing the struggle to detect those threats due to their
clandestine nature, resource sophistication as well as their delegate approaches for the efforts that
is low and slow. For the enterprises, these were the sophisticated, organised and the persistent
threat of the actors that is being seen only from the digital traces that they leave behind. Due to
this the enterprises need the visibility and that should be beyond the network and the advanced
threats is being target by the organisation (Gunitsky, 2015).
Block chain Revolution
It is being ended up with the spectacular rise in the valuation and popularity of having the
crypto currencies that are built upon the technical innovation that is at the core of revolution and
having the decentralised or the secured record of transaction. It is difficult to predict about the
developments that the block chain system offers with regard to the cyber security, professionals
that can make some educated guesses. As the companies are targeting the range of use cases in
this it enables the management of medical records so that they can decentralise the access
control. In context of cybersecurity emerges there is having the healthy tensions also have the
complementary integration with the traditional cyber security approaches (Wilcox and
Bhattacharya, 2015).
Build the self awareness
Users need to be now more conscious regarding the information they reveal through their
personal profiles on online social networking site such as Facebook. They have to be accurately
maintain their profiles through the periodical reviews with necessary modification of profile
content so that they can ensure the necessary appropriate information disclosure.
Encouraging the awareness through campaigns
Government need to initiate the different educational and awareness through raising the
campaigns so that they inform the users to make the rational usage of these Social Networking
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Sites as well as also encourages the providers so that they can develop and practice the security
for the conscious corporate policies. (Chowdhury, 2016)
Keep the privacy and security
The role of privacy and safety in the social networking sites is very important and the
introduction to the concept of social networking sites in these risks that is being experienced due
to the usage of social sites as it discussed (Yağdereli, Gemci and Aktaş, 2015). The relation of
the privacy and security is being described. The solutions for maintaining the safety as well as
privacy is also being provided. As it is being revealed through the various study that both the
users and the organisations must pay attention to improve the safety as well as privacy on
Facebook.
Compliance with cyber security policies
One should already know by now not to steal from others, vandalise the property and can
install the third party software on the computer systems. It is as simple as it might seems and it is
frequently overlooked along with several other practices. Some examples are sign in to personal
account of Facebook, doing the e-mail of sensitive data through the work from home machine,
connect the company devices to unsecured networks, storing the data in word documents. It
would seem like the common sense for the most of the people during the working days as it is
entirely focused on the working day (Minchev, 2015).
Explain and justify the points made, presenting supporting evidence where appropriate. You can
use theories or data or both but always support your statements, otherwise they could be
seen as ‘hearsay’.
Despite of having many attention on breach of data and the cyber attacks that relatively have the
little focus and is being shifted to the principal scene of crime that the servers as the storage
devices manage as well as safeguard the vast bulk to the company and government agency data
(Wilcox and Bhattacharya, 2015).
Comprehensively understand compute environment
One can not secure what one can not see as the better security requires the comprehensive
mapping of all the work load and the flow of network. As it is not the one time activity but rather
it is being the continuous requirement (Chertoff and Simon, 2015). There is a need of leadership
security that must move rapidly towards the continuous monitoring of network activity.
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Take the measures to protect against the identity theft
As the identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully gets the personal data that
involves the fraud as well as deception as it is mainly for the economic gain. This might be
tricked in giving the information that is personal over the internet just for the instance the thief
mat steal the information from the Facebook or even from the e-mail to access the account
information so it is very important to guard the personal data. Virtual private network can help in
protecting the data at the time of sending and receiving online.
Must know the ways when one become victim
If one can believe that you have been become the victim of cybercrime than one need to
alert the local police and in the same cases it is very important even if the crime is not major as it
seems minor. This report may assist the authorities in their investigations to help the thwart
criminals by taking the advantage of the people in the future.
Avoid in opening the links of lotteries, gifts and discounts
It is very truly said that if one is not paying the product that the person will be the
product. So if there is having the link that tells about that one has won the huge amount in the
prize or in the lottery or won an iPhone than do not open this link report it as a spam.
Split focus, chasing the news
One of the top issues that must contend many of the cyber security problems as they are
being tasked by fixing the backward facing that is based on the major issues of past. As it leaves
the door that is wide open for the innovators. This type of issues brings the sharpest criticism
from the public. As the most attention from the regulators or from its board it will get the focus
internally. In the case of Facebook efforts of the security are been especially least focused on the
related issues (Rachoene and Oyedemi, 2015).
Smart password practices
It is very common that the password one is using must not be simple such as abc123,
admin or any other password that can be guessed by anyone. At the same time the password for
all the online services must not be same as the hacker can breach one of the accounts that means
he gets everything that includes bank statement and all. To minimise this risk use the different
passwords for different services and keep changing them within every six months (Fox and
Moreland, 2015).
Invest in the cyber security insurance
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As the cyber criminals used to do the work continuously and tirelessly to find all the advanced
ways in breaching the security defence as the most security conscious businesses remain having
the risk of attack. The losses can not be incurred from the breach of data is best mitigated by
doing the investment in the cyber security insurance as only 9% of business are having this type
of insurance, according to the UK department for digital, media and sport (Yağdereli, Gemci and
Aktaş, 2015).
Create the security focused workplace
As employees are the most common cause of breaching the data as many of them did not
recognise the external threats that is being occurred for the good understanding for the daily
actions and it leaves the company vulnerable for cyber attack. For example the UK cyber
security breaches survey 2018 is being carried out by the government and found that 43% of
business of UK is being experienced the cyber breach as well as attack in the last 12 months as
only 20% of UK companies offers the training to the staff in the same time frame when this
threats is being happened. As these breaches are more common in the businesses in which the
staff members use their personal devices for work. As they need to ensure the sufficient security
in training as well as in the education to make the staff focus in the cyber breach. (Rachoene and
Oyedemi, 2015)
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is being summarised that this report is about the cyber threat as
it is being defined by the cyber threat indicator as the information that is necessary to describe
and identify malicious reconnaissance that includes the anomalous patterns of communication,
this report contains that how the Facebook is having the cyber threat as the leakage of personal
data is being leaked, fake id's are made, and how it harms. This report also consider the different
aspects of the problem and how it keeps an appropriate balance that are Intelligence for the cyber
threat, block chain Revolution, Build the self awareness, Encouraging the awareness through
campaigns. This report elaborates how the cyber threat is being taken place through the
Facebook as well as the ways to avoid the cyber threats (Yağdereli, Gemci and Aktaş, 2015).
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is stated that there are several threats that are targetting Facebook users like
impersonation like fake accounts, data manipulation, password attack, man on the middle attack
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etc. Users have to face several problems due to all these several attacks. For resolving problems
of cyber attacks it can be recommended that users should use a strong and difficult password.
Many users use and repeat the same password on different sites so they should use different and
strong password for different sites. For more security they can also take help of password
management application that help users tom protect and keep their password locked down.
It is also stated that most of the cyber attacks and crimes are happening as users do not
focus on privacy setting as some users use default privacy setting which can be easily hacked.
SO it can be recommended that Facebook users should be more aware & concerned about
security settings & Facebook should also work forward towards their security settings with the
main aim to save their users from privacy breach. There are several apps of security technology
that can prevent and help users of Facebook and employees to solve the problems of cybercrime.
By investing and developing solutions like ZeroFox can help users as it alerts them of security
risks. When an individual and user integrate ZeroFox with their Hootsuite dashboard then it
automatically alerts them to dangerous and threatening. It has several features that protects users
and employees against phishing and hacking attacks.
In addition it can also be recommended to Facebook and their users to maintain a good
and strong relationship with the company's IT teams so they can keep them informed of any
social media security risks on regular basis. With the help of social media policy, users can also
protect themselves against cybercrime. Security and social media policy keep updating users
about change practices & new threat emerge. By taking regular measurements, users can protect
themselves against identity theft. Identity theft occurs when an individual and someone obtain
personal data wrongfully in a fraud way. In this case users can be tricked to give their personal
information over the internet. A thief and an individual who wants to thief personal data try to
steal mail to access account informations. So by guarding a personal data or a virtual personal
network can help users to the great extent to protect data that users send and receive online.
It can also be recommended in the context of cybercrime on Facebook to their users that
should keep their software updated on regular basis. Cybercriminals and thief generally use their
known exploits in their software with the main aim to gain access of their system. By patching
those flaws & exploits can make less likely to become a cybercrime target. By setting up a
system of approvals for access and social posts, users can make themselves more protective
against cybercrime. Users can use Hotsuite to give their employees the ability to draft messages
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and also make them prepare in order to post sat the press of a button. By having a approval
system and by putting contact number, users can see that who have accessed their system
accounts.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cerrudo, C., 2015. An emerging US (and world) threat: Cities wide open to cyber
attacks. Securing Smart Cities. 17. pp.137-151.
Gunitsky, S., 2015. Corrupting the cyber-commons: Social media as a tool of autocratic
stability. Perspectives on Politics. 13(1). pp.42-54.
Wilcox, H. and Bhattacharya, M., 2015. Countering social engineering through social media: An
enterprise security perspective. In Computational Collective Intelligence (pp. 54-64).
Springer, Cham.
Chowdhury, A., 2016, October. Recent cyber security attacks and their mitigation approaches–an
overview. In International conference on applications and techniques in information
security (pp. 54-65). Springer, Singapore.
Yağdereli, E., Gemci, C. and Aktaş, A.Z., 2015. A study on cyber-security of autonomous and
unmanned vehicles. The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation. 12(4). pp.369-381.
Minchev, Z., 2015. Challenges to human factor for advance persistent threats proactive
identification in modern social networks. Information & Security. An International
Journal.34. pp.57-70.
Chertoff, M. and Simon, T., 2015. The impact of the dark web on internet governance and cyber
security.
Rachoene, M. and Oyedemi, T., 2015. From self-expression to social aggression: Cyberbullying
culture among South African youth on Facebook. Communicatio. 41(3). pp.302-319.
Fox, J. and Moreland, J.J., 2015. The dark side of social networking sites: An exploration of the
relational and psychological stressors associated with Facebook use and
affordances. Computers in human behavior. 45. pp.168-176.
Rachoene, M. and Oyedemi, T., 2015. From self-expression to social aggression: Cyberbullying
culture among South African youth on Facebook. Communicatio. 41(3). pp.302-319.
Utz, S., Muscanell, N. and Khalid, C., 2015. Snapchat elicits more jealousy than Facebook: A
comparison of Snapchat and Facebook use. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking. 18(3). pp.141-146.
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