Social Media Cyber Security Risks!

Social media have become a part of human being life, using to social networks billions of people a day social networks such as facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin and tiktok. These platforms, great for communication, entertainment, and business growth, also present a major cyber security threat. Malicious actors use social media to distribute malware, perform phishing campaigns, or steal credentials. It is important for individuals and organizations to understand the risks and implement best practices for safety and security.

Cyber Security Threats in Social Media

Identity Theft

Cybercriminals can leverage personal information stolen from social media to impersonate people to access their financial accounts, scam them. They are especially vulnerable to users who reveal too much personal information, such as full names, addresses, birthdays and phone numbers.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing: Phishing attacks on social media trick users into divulging sensitive information by pretending to be legitimate sources. Cybercriminals create fake profiles, send fake messages or use malicious link to steal log in credentials, credit card details or any other confidential information.

Social Engineering

By leveraging trust, hackers (such as social engineers) compel users to divulge sensitive information. They might impersonate a trusted contact, act as a company representative or employ psychological techniques to access user accounts on an individual or corporate level.

Data Breaches

With social media platforms getting hacked, user data like email, passwords or even private messages are usually stolen in massive. This data is frequently sold on the dark web or used for additional cyberattacks.

Malware and Ransomware

Cybercriminals with malware distributed the aforementioned through malicious links, infected attachments, and fake ads on social media. Once clicked, these links can download malicious software that can steal data, encrypt files for ransom, or seize control of user devices for nefarious purposes.

How Attackers Take Advantage of Social Media

The hackers utilize social media with different approaches, such as:

The User’s Fake Profiles: Creating false accounts to befriend the users and collect data.

What is PSFW and How it Works?

Account Hijacking: Gain control of user accounts to disseminate malicious material or impersonate contacts.

Fourth Attack Vector: Insecure third-party applications requesting too many permissions

Preventive Measures for Users

The following are measures that all individuals can take to help improve cyber security on social media:

Enable MFA: Put an additional barrier between your accounts and hackers who only have a password.

Do not Share Personally identifiable Information: Do not publicly show sensitive data.

Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Use a password manager to create and keep complex passwords.

Examine Friend Request and Messages: Only connect with trusted people.

Be Cautious of Phishing Attempts: Don’t click on suspicious links or download unknown attachments.

Update Privacy Setting: Routinely check and adjust security setting on social media platforms.

Page Content  Business and Organization Best Practices

Here are a few strong cyber security strategies all organizations can have in place to protect themselves and their employees:

Create a Social Media Policy: This provides rules for safe social media.

Train Employees on Cyber Security: Stage regular training sessions to spot and avoid phishing predictions.

In this regard, here's the first one: Monitor Brand Mentions and Impersonations: You can employ tools to check for imposter accounts impersonating official accounts.

Limit access to social media accounts: Grant admin access only to trusted persons

Use Secure Connections, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): Corporate social media accounts should only be available to employees over secure networks.

Case Studies and Real World Examples

A few recent and very public cyber security hacks point to the dangers of social media:

Twitter Bitcoin Scam (2020) Hackers took over high-profile Twitter accounts to promote a cryptocurrency scam.

Facebook Data Breach (2019): Personal data of more than 540 million users were leaked.

Phishing Attacks via LinkedIn: Fake LinkedIn messages are a common phishing bait used by cybercriminals against professionals.

Predictions for the future and new emerging threats

As technology progresses, the new threats never cease to arise:

Deepfake Scams: Fake videos and images that are generated using A.I. can spread disinformation and commit fraud.

Risent Attackers New attacks using social media accounts of employees.

Mistreatment of Internet and System of Social Media: Smart IPCamera connected with social media accounts may give rise to new vulnerabilities.