As a prudent (read: paranoid) cybersecurity attorney, I am not on Facebook. However, Facebook serves a noble purpose of connecting its users. The problem is that the platform continues to be fertile ground for scammers and hackers looking to take advantage of the unwary.
To help those of you grappling with how to best secure your online profiles and avoid being duped, there are two tremendously valuable resources available online:
- Building a Digital Defense Against Instant Messaging Frauds published by the FBI’s Portland Office
- Be Sure to Secure Your Facebook Account: The NJCCIC’s Guide to Accessing Facebook’s Security & Privacy Settings published by the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (“NJCCIC”)
There are certainly ways to secure your profile, but you should never assume that an application or site’s default settings are the most secure. In fact, you should expect the opposite: default settings will generally allow for the broadest volume of sharing, access and use – including by the application provider and other, potentially malicious, users.