As the communications evolution wends its way through the digital universe, one of the results of this change is the growth of what is called a “social network.” You’ve heard of them by now, most notably MySpace and Facebook for example. If you’re wondering just what makes a website a “social network site” (SNS), here is a definition that is used by sociologists:
Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.
Along with the large, universal SNS’s there are a growing number of niche sites that are serving more narrowly-defined groups such as Firefighter Nation. This fast-growing SNS arrived on the scene just as fire and rescue members were discovering the advantages of using the internet to find and share information about our “trade.” It looks like the SNS is going to settle down as the basic community site where people go when they’re online to connect with their peers and learn the latest scoop on what’s going on within their interest-group.
Firefighter Nation appears to be expanding into the role of fire and rescue interactive community central as they have just passed the 29,000-member mark and will soon hit the 30 K milestone. A lot of F & R people are also using the Twitter social network as a tool in their emergency operations. Firegeezer is working on a report on how they are doing this and we’ll be telling you more in the next couple of weeks.
What got me started on this topic this morning was the recent news of how the spam and virus sleazebags are focusing on SNS to do their mischief and commit their crimes. Since most of you are participating in at least one social network, I wanted to join the crowd shouting out the warnings of this digital hazard.
Wherever there are large numbers of people gathered, there will also be pickpockets showing up to do their thing. It’s the same thing with virtual gatherings, with spammers and malware jerks flocking in to the social networks to pick the digital pocketbooks. Just as you have to secure your wallet in the live crowd, you always have to watch your wallet in the digital crowd, too.
The latest trick of these criminals is to send direct messages to people within the network posing as friends or wannabe’s asking the recipient to take a look at a member-page or video that is about them. Then when you click on the link, it takes you to a phishing page that looks like a genuine network page and it asks you to sign in again with your password. And if you do that, they’ve got you because now they have the open path to plant a keystroke cookie that will search your hard drive for the rest of your passwords. What they’re after, of course, are your logins for your bank accounts and credit card numbers.
The network operators are doing their best to counter these crooks, but it is a constant battle that will never cease. So I want to remind you to always stay alert to these tricks, even when you are in the seemingly-safe rooms of your SNS. There is an informative article in the Wall Street Journal this morning that you would be well-served to take the time to read HERE about this new field of attack. As the old saying goes: Fore-warned is fore-armed.
Now let’s get this equipment checked out. I’ll start a fresh pot and then see you back in the day room.
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