Facebooks most recent catastrophe – Facebook has done it again. Another data breach affection only 50 million accounts. Of course, it was announced as late on a Friday afternoon as possible, in a feeble attempt to sweep it under the rug, over the weekend. Trying desperately to hide it in the weekend news cycle. Well, it caught my attention, and here is what I am doing about it.
In addition you can read my blog “Soul Searching of FaceBook” published 4/15/2018.
Facebooks Keys?
Let’s start by discussing the hack itself. Essentially, and I do mean basically, there was a vulnerability in the “View As” function. This function
allows you to wish another Facebook user a happy birthday. It is a little more complicated than just losing control when you which someone happy birthday.
There is a key called an “OAuth bearer tokens” These tokens are very much like car keys when you hold them; the car cannot discern the owner. Therefore, it lets you or anyone holding the key start up and drive off. Facebook has severely understated the issues. Although not nearly as damaging as the Yahoo breach, when almost three billion accounts were hacked. Facebook has said only 50 million were susceptible.
The Iceberg Burn
This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Facebook logins are kind of a go-to standard. How often have you signed up for an app? Then the next screen offers to let you set up an account using your “Facebook” login? Well, that is where things start to get dicey, and Facebook is understating the whole of the problem. All of these accounts are also exposed. Meaning your Instagram account could have been hacked as well. You are likely no longer in control of many of your existing accounts.
It is not a completely simple fix. Start by changing your Facebook login, but you will immediately need to change all of the other applications logins as well. Not a simple task, I assure you.
Only 50 Million
Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of product management, said late Friday. That is a complicated process to take over all of your
secondary accounts. And that Facebook has notified the FBI. What he had a hard time explaining was why this error was coded in July 2017. And it has taken Facebook this long to uncover it. However, I do agree when you see the whole process; it is very complicated, to take control. Still the only reason Facebook even knows about the problems, it the surge of user activity, in this area? So there has to be more hear than meets the eye.
In Conclusion
I always encourage you to change your Login credentials often. The Facebook frequency of errors, and simple ability to be continually blindsided by these attacks, drives that point home.
There is also a solution that I use for my privacy and protection. I don’t often mention products in my blogs. However, with data breaches like Facebook, Target, Wells Fargo, Walmart, Equifax, Yahoo, and so many more. In today’s world, you must assume yours have been hacked. I do not shop online, but my identity was stolen last November. Then I was violated again with the Equifax breach.
I feel like I need to mention one company in particular.
ID Shield is the company I use. They provide both “Identity Restoration” and monitor all of my “Social Media” accounts. They only use Kroll Protection Service, the best in the world. If you want to learn more, email me here.
In the end, all that Facebooks wants to do is gather our personal information and any political leaning so that they can sell our marketing preferences. Then block content they think is political or dangerous for us to know!
And always have e2 Total Solutions show you how to protect yourself from bad actors like Facebook.
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