Comprehensive Report: Facebook's Threats and Vulnerabilities

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the threats and vulnerabilities faced by Facebook. It begins by identifying natural threats, such as data center damage from disasters, and human threats, including various hacking methods like keylogging, phishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks. The report then delves into Facebook's vulnerabilities, categorized into weaknesses in system management, operational controls, and technical security. Management control weaknesses include a lack of coordination and employee satisfaction. Operational control weaknesses include less regulation of fake news, weak ad policies, and foreign interference. Technical security weaknesses include bugs in Facebook's code. The report offers a detailed assessment of each area, highlighting the potential impact on Facebook's operations, user data, and overall security posture. This report provides a clear overview of Facebook's security challenges.

Running head: THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
 ;
1. Identification of threats that Facebook as organization may encounter as well as potential
vulnerabilities:
For threat identification, all entities (natural, human, or environmental) that could harm the
organization’s capability to fulfil its critical functions has been identified in this context. Here the
analysis is done in the following ways which includes:
 Identification of potential attack methods.
 Assessment of their capacity and motivation (for humans) to mount an attack.
1.1. Natural threats:
As Facebook has so many data to host, it stores its huge data in secured database in
advanced data centres in various locations around the world. These data centres considers physical
data servers for storing data and any damage to the servers due to natural disasters is threat to the
Facebook as it has the potential to harm the critical operation of the organization.
Natural disasters include storm, thunders and other disruptive forces as well.
1.2. Human threat:
It is one of the most significant threat that needs to be considered while analysing possible
threats to the Facebook. These type of cyber criminals are also known as hackers. There are various
methods that are considered by these type of hackers to attack Facebook to affect its operation.
Method of attack Popularity Motivation
Keylogging It is an popular method to
steal personal information
regarding account credential
and password
It is easy to use and requires
less effort and it allows
hackers to record keystrokes
provided by the users to

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THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
login to the account and
steal confidential and
personal information of
users which is a threat to
Facebook as it compromises
Facebook popularity and
market position which might
affect Facebook revenue as
well
Phishing It is another popular method
for hacking user data
Does not require extensive
technical expertise and all it
need is to create a fake page
for stealing account
credentials
TCP Session Theft Less popular in this list This is not often considered
by the hackers as it requires
to interpret a TCP session
between two machine which
sends and receive data and
authentication control has to
be established when session
opens to execute the process
Man In The Middle It is very popular method as
it lets hackers to take
complete control over the
communication between two
Hackers through this method
are able to interpret
information communicated
between two parties and also

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THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
parties lets hackers to inject new
information as well
Botnets It is technically complex and
advanced technique,
however highly efficient and
hence popular as well
Hackers are able to send
malicious code to a large
number of Facebook users
and if executed properly it is
then easy for the hackers to
control a large number of
accounts at the same time
2. Identification of vulnerability in Facebook as organization:
For vulnerability identification, list and assess all gaps or weaknesses in the system’s
management, operational, and technical security controls that a threat could accidentally or
intentionally exploit to harm the system.
2.1. Weaknesses in the system’s management control:
2.1.1. Lack of coordination and transparency:
Mark Zuckerberg and insiders controls 70% of voting shares which according to the top
management has affected decision making process regarding the way data needs to be collected and
processed which has resulted in biggest ever data breach in Facebook, the Cambridge data analytica
case. According to top authorities, when one persona takes all the decision in a large organization
like Facebook there is less chance of the decision being effective which has impacted the
organisation recently. According to the top officials, if Facebook is controlled and managed it will
make Facebook a profit only company that does not respect privacy of the users.

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THREAT AND VULNERABILITY TO FACEBOOK
2.1.2. Lack of Employee satisfaction:
Excessive control of mark Zuckerberg and insiders has created an environment of
dictatorship which has resulted in Lack of open culture in the organization and lack of employee
satisfaction as well.
2.2. Weaknesses in the system’s operational controls:
2.2.1. Less regulation and compliance:
Less control on fake news: Facebook does not have any dedicated control on managing promotion
of fake news on the platform which needs to be improved if it wants to ensure smooth operation
control on organizational policies.
Weak ad policy: This has often violated Facebook operational control and it has helped other
companies to make profir out of these for which facebook has often been criticised and this needs to
be improved
Less control on foreign interference: During the US election, various Russian agencies has
interfered with the process through the platform and manipulated citizen opinion as well through
polls and fake news propaganda which Zuckerberg has promised to improve.
2.3. Weaknesses in the system’s technical security controls:
Bug in facebook’s code: a feature in facebook’s code has allowed other users to view how someone
profile should look like on the platform which has allowed users “hackers to control the accounts of
up to 50 million users”. This is major bug which has been recognized by the company.