Forty-one percent of Facebook users are willing to share their personal information, such as email address, date of birth and phone number with a stranger, increasing their risk of identity theft according to new research from IT security company Sophos.
Facebook Wasn't Ready For Freddi
To conduct the research Sophos created a fake
"It's extremely alarming how easy it was to get users to accept Freddi. Eighty-seven users accepted Freddi, and of those, 82 provided their personal information in the process," said Ron O'Brien, senior security analyst at Boston-based Sophos. "While it's unlikely this will result directly in theft, it provides many of the essential elements needed to gain access to people's personal accounts. Additionally, it reveals specific user interests, enabling hackers to design targeted malware or phishing emails that they know the user is more likely to open." "Further, it is also important for businesses to recognize the potential threat if these sites are utilized in the workplace. They can put significant strain on the network and can also expose confidential corporate data to malicious outsiders."
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