I know (to our clients, at least) it seems like Computer Tutor beats up on Facebook regularly. However, we do have good reason. Not only do they participate in a HUGE amount of data mining, the social media mecca is also rife with scams and security issues. On September 28, 2018, we sent an email to our clients on a hack resulting in 50 million users’ information being compromised.
A mere six months later, KrebsonSecurity reported that Facebook failed at user security (again) with the discovery that user passwords were stored in easily readable text format. While it appears that only Facebook employees had access to these passwords, the breach still poses a threat to user security. According to a May 2018 poll compiled by LogMeIn 59% of people reuse passwords and more than 90% of those same people know it is a bad practice. This means once someone has access to one password or account, they most likely have access to other accounts and data.
Since most are not going to dump Facebook, all users should at least change their Facebook password and not use it for anything else. Secure passwords are complex. They contain eight characters, with upper and lower case letters, numbers and a character. For those who have issues remembering your password, use a secure password manager.
If you have question or concerns about the information in this article, send Computer Tutor an email or give us a call.