Unexpected results revealed by Webroot in a survey with users of social networks

Having conducted research with 1,100 members of social networks, Webroot, a leading provider of Internet security software for the consumer, enterprise and SMB markets, has found that online social networks are exposed to financial loss, identity theft and malware infection more than they assume.  

Surveys, in which members of Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and other popular social networks participated, have revealed that two-thirds of the surveyed do not put any restrictions on their profiles while about one third present at least three pieces of personally identifiable information. The use of the same password for various sites by one third of the respondents along with the acceptance of ‘friend requests’ from strangers by one quarter of the surveyed are the other findings of Webroot. 

 “Three in ten people Webroot polled experienced a security attack through a social network in the past year, including identity theft, malware infection, spam, unauthorized password changes and “friend in distress” money-stealing scams,” says Mike Kronenberg, chief technology officer of Webroot’s Consumer business. Particularly, an increase in attacks on social networks in recent months has been observed by Webroot.

Furthermore, the report reveals that younger users, particularly those aged between 18 and 29, behave riskier than other users by showing a tendency to accept a friend request from a stranger, sharing more personal information. The findings of Webroot indicate that users of social networks are not well informed about the security risks on social networks and about available protection tools.

The users of social networks are advised to restrict the people who can view their profile and those who cannot in addition to demonstrating particular caution to choosing passwords. Moreover, the possession of proper antivirus and antispyware protection on PC has been regarded as an indispensable step in protecting oneself and personal information while the installation of updates is believed to be vital.