Social Networks Susceptible to Phishing?

Phishing attacks aren’t just focusing on email any longer. The new threat could impact social networking sites, thereby attacking online marketers.

by Kristina Knight

A new report from Symantec, an Internet security company, indicates that hackers may be posing as real people on social networking sites in an effort to gain private information from other users.

These sites are appealing to hackers and susceptible to phishing attacks because most users are online in these sites looking for social interaction. They want to meet new people, and they have a level of trust for others on the same sites. Social networkers are more apt to click on links from hackers, thinking those links are safe. Once they click, the links can redirect them to hacker sites where private information is given.

How can online marketers using social networks cope? The same way email marketers cope. Email marketers send out messages instructing members on what types of emails they will receive from the company; online and social marketers can post messages that will let customers know where they can expect to see legitimate links to your products and information, and give them resources to report fishy links or product information. You can also point users to anti-phishing software that can be downloaded to help protect them online.