Facebook Flaw Allowed Removal of Any Photo

A researcher says he received a $10,000 bounty from Facebook after finding a critical vulnerability that could have been exploited to delete any photo from the social media network. In early November, Facebook announced a new feature for posting polls that include images and GIF animations. Iran-based security researcher and web developer Pouya Darabi analyzed…

Social media is a cybersecurity risk for business

By itself, social media might not constitute a cyberthreat but once again,  employees who ignore best practices around security are making it easy for scammers. It’s even been described as the perfect hunting ground for illegal activity. Social media has also turned into a dandy reconnaissance tool that cybercriminals use to socially engineer their victims. When someone neglects their privacy settings or publicly posts personal notes and photos, they can leave cybercriminals free to use their information…

Five Tips to Stay Safe on Social Media While Traveling

Oversharing your travel plans can put you, your colleagues, your corporate data systems, your property and even your loved ones at risk. Similarly, announcing to the world that your home is vacant obviously increases the odds of a break-in, so what happens to your corporate laptop or personal devices containing corporate data that you leave…

Facebook manifesto redacted to omit plans for AI to monitor private messages

An earlier version of Mark Zuckerberg’s 6,000-word manifesto for Facebook revealed his belief that artificial intelligence could one day be used to monitor private messages for terrorists scheming an attack. The text eventually published by Zuckerberg on Thursday did detail how Facebook is using AI today to flag terrorist propaganda in public posts. However, as…

US collects social media handles from select visitors

Visitors to the U.S. under a visa waiver program are being asked by the Department of Homeland Security for information on their social media accounts, a plan that had drawn criticism from civil rights groups for its potential encroachment on privacy. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit of the DHS asked for written comments…