Social Networking and Security

Upon returning to college after a (very) brief visit home, I experienced something in the real world that also has relevance in the computer world.  First of all, my fiancé drives, and I do not.  He agreed to take me back to Greensboro on Sunday, and we used the parking deck here so that we could have ample time to carry my bags upstairs without being harassed by campus police.  Well, to make a short story shorter, we accidentally locked the keys in his car and had to call Pop-A-Lock to get them out.  Admittedly, I was wondering what would happen if someone with malicious intent had such tools to access your car...well, obviously, it wouldn't be good, so the company gets your insurance information which verifies your identity as the vehicle's owner and not some guy who steals radios from cars.  The Internet is a little trickier.  If I use someone else's ID to buy alcohol, which I am forbidden from purchasing due to my age, the store clerk can clearly see from the picture that I am not who I claim to be.  In cyberspace, all you need is a password...or sometimes less than that.

We've all seen this, but have you ever stopped to think, "Wait, maybe other people know my dog's name too!  Gasp!"  So-called security questions can actually making hacking email accounts easier than ever, due to the simplicity of their nature.  Whether you're just some schmuck or a high-profile celebrity with a Wikipedia page, there are undoubtedly other people in the world who know your mother's maiden name, and a quick, free Google search can help an attacker find out where you went to school without question.  Because of this fact, I usually give an obscure answer that other people would not be likely to know, such as Philip the Caterpillar who I kept in a Mt. Olive pickle jar at the age of seven (for the pet question, also not his name), or I just type in something like asdfasdfasdf.  Do whatever works best for you.

Fortunately, other sites have adopted additional security measures to help thwart hackers' efforts.  I recently experienced one such measure when I tried to log onto my Facebook account using a mobile device over spring break.  I was in another state, so the activity appeared suspect, and I was greeted with a message asking me to log on with a computer because of my "unusual location."  Ultimately, I ended up having to changing my password, which was annoying at the time.  In retrospect, however, I am happy to see that Facebook is concerned about the privacy and security of its users, regardless of other qualms I may have with the site and others of its kind.  Ah, but that is another topic for another time!  Good day, all.

- Heather