3 Studies – New Concerns about Internet Security

 

May 16, 2010

Phishing and other Internet security risks pose new dangers and raise concerns, according to three new studies, and two of the studies involve Facebook.

It’s been quite a roller coaster for Facebook.

On one hand, Facebook is enjoying a huge increase in display advertising impressions. Research firm comScore reports Facebook had 176 billion impressions in Q1 2010. That’s more than either Yahoo or Microsoft enjoyed.

However, Facebook faces increasing scrutiny over its privacy controls from Congress and European data protection authorities. Indeed, many users are dropping their Facebook memberships as a result of these and other developments.

Other Facebook users are probably shocked once they learn that their questionable posts are showing up on a Web site www.youropenbook.org.  Their embarrassing messages range from results of their HIV tests to playing hooky from their jobs. The site shows their posts because they don’t turn off their privacy settings.

The three studies:

Buzz Score. The so-called buzz score by YouGov BrandIndex survey for Facebook for people over 35 is down. The buzz index dropped to 21.2 from 26.7. The assumption was privacy concerns was a factor among those 35+. But it jumped to 44.8 from 26.7 for the 18 to 24 demographic.

Phishing targets. Facebook is now in fourth place as one of the top phishing targets, according to a CNET report on a study by Kaspersky Lab. The article was written by Elinor Mills.

Phishing, of course, is the fraudulent attempt by e-mailers to get your sensitive information – credit cards, passwords and usernames – by posing as an e-mail a trusted Web site.

The highest number of attacks masquerade as organizations in e-mails, including:

1. PayPal – 52.2 percent
2. eBay – 13.3 percent
3. HSBC – 7.8 percent
4. Facebook – 5.7 percent
5. Google – 3.1 percent
6. IRS – 2.2 percent
7. Rapidshare – 1.8 percent
8. Bank of America – 1.8 percent
9. UBI – 1.6 percent
10. Bradesco – 1.2 percent
11. Other – 9.2 percent

“Facebook popped up unexpectedly in fourth place,” the report said according to CNET. “This was the first time since we started monitoring that attacks on a social-networking site have been so prolific.”

“Just last week, Facebook board member Jim Breyer, of venture capital firm Accel Partners, found that his Facebook account was spamming his contacts because of a phishing scam,” wrote Ms. Mills.

“The report also found that spam represents about 85 percent of all e-mail traffic and that Asia remains the leading source of spam by geographical region, while the individual countries serving as the top sources are the U.S., India, and Russia,” she also mentioned.

Worst phishing may be yet to come. They were awful, but the worst attacks might be being planned now, at least, according to a study reported by Tim Greene in NetworkWorld. Mr. Greene wrote about a study by Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) entitled, “Global Phishing Survey: Trends and Domain Name Use 2H2009.”

A phishing group called Avalanche was notorious in its dominance. In Oct. 2009, it launched 26,411 attacks. In April, the group only launched 59.

“As of this writing, Avalanche has dwindled to a shadow of its former self. Will Avalanche fade for good or will it too be reborn as something new?” the APWG report asks.

“This criminal entity is one of the most sophisticated and damaging on the Internet, and perfected a mass-production system for deploying phishing sites and ‘crimeware’ – malware designed specifically to automate identity theft and facilitate unauthorized transactions from consumer bank accounts,” states the study.

From the Coach’s Corner, for tips on Internet security, including the expertise of a Los Angeles security specialist, Dr. Stan Stahl, consider these Biz Coach columns:

• How to Protect Yourself from the Internet Crime Wave
• Strategic Planning: List of Informative Web Sites
• Web Security Checklist and Warning about Mobile Banking
• 5 Safety Measures to Thwart Mounting Social-Network Attacks
• How China-Google Controversy Might Affect Business, Government Security