Vulnerabilities of Social Networking Sites: An Open Attack Vector for Cyber Criminals

Abstract

A social networking service is an online service that focuses on facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who can share images, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. Once information is posted to a social networking site, it is no longer private. The more information shared, the more likely someone could impersonate the user and trick one of their friends into sharing personal information, downloading malware, or providing access to restricted sites. Predators, hackers, business competitors, and foreign state actors troll social networking sites looking for information or people to target for exploitation. Information gleaned from social networking sites may be used to design a specific attack that does not come by way of the social networking site. Users of online social media become victims for various types of cybercrimes; this may be due to the vulnerabilities present in the application. The advancement in technology provides the social networking sites to be user friendly and quick accessible but there are so many vulnerabilities that can make the users as victim to different types of cybercrimes. This article analysis the various vulnerabilities of social networking sites and how the attackers use this vulnerabilities to take control of the users account and their personal information. Social networking is a magnificent means to hook up with people, create new contacts, share what we familiar with others, and study new things. User must, on the other hand, be conscious of the fact that the web has its own fair share of good and bad components which pulls users to be victim of the vulnerabilities.

Keywords: Malicious website, Privacy issues, Social networking sites, SNS vulnerabilities, Third party application.

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