Report: Social Networking Attacks Dramatically Increased in 2009
Social networking site attacks increased by 500 percent between 2008 and 2009.
eSecurity Planet reports that social networking site attacks increased by 500 percent between 2008 and 2009. Part of the problem, says Blue Coat, is that users identify complete strangers as "friends” with few or no qualifications. But this cavalier attitude is not the only reason cyber criminals target social networks; it also allows them to go after many more victims.
The report notes:
Cybercriminals closely followed 2009 Web surfing trends looking for opportunities to exploit them. As a result, social networking sites and services like Facebook and Twitter, Web-based business services from Google and social networking and smart phone apps have all been targets for attack. In fact, the app market as a whole, which is still emerging and largely unregulated, is fertile ground for criminal activity.
