SuziavanSwol post #1 Cisco: Social Media Newest Playground for Cybercriminals

In an article today regarding social networks, I once again am struck with the sense that our world is change, and maybe not for the better. This article discusses how facebook has millions of users in its database, and I am sure these numbers are growing. Although I think facebook is a great networking tool, it can also be cause for scare. Employers can now track us on facebook, potential empoloyers can spy on candidates, the government can see what we did last Saturday night, and our mom knows if we blew her off for dinner. This article discusses how crime trends are increasing, but our liberties are being taken away too and isn't that a crime as well?

Cisco 2009 Annual Security Report Unveils New 'Cybercrime Showcase' Awards
December 08, 2009: 08:00 AM ET
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today issued its Annual Security Report for 2009, which highlights the impact of social media, particularly social networking, on network security and explores the critical role that people, not technology, play in creating opportunities for cybercriminals. The Annual Security Report also includes winners of the 2009 Cisco® Cybercrime Showcase and discusses trends in cloud computing, spam and overall global cybercrime activities that information technology professionals continue to face.

Social media experienced explosive growth in 2009. Facebook alone tripled its active user base to 350 million over the course of the year. Social media adoption is expected to continue growing into 2010, especially as more organizations realize the value of social networks as an absolute business requirement. Social networks have quickly become a playground for cybercriminals because members of these sites put an inordinate amount of trust in the other members of their communities and often fail to take precautions to prevent the spread of malware and computer viruses. The Annual Security Report also provides more information on the potentially devastating combination of minor vulnerabilities, poor user behavior, and outdated security software that can dramatically increase risks to network security