This clip from CNN explores the dangers of social networking sights. In Kurt Roemer's (a Citrix Security Strategist) opinion, there is a sort of "implicit trust" that forces people do do things they wouldn't normally do. When we click on links like "take this quiz" or "view this video" that our friends send us, we really don't know what is lurking behind the link and could possibly infect our computer. Through links on Facebook for example, not only our computers and our identities, but our friend's computers and identities can be compromised as well. According to Kurt, these attacks are "stealthy" and even trained people can't always recognize attacks. All we really have to do is mouse over something, without even clicking, and we can be compromised by the virus. Obviously, you can get viruses through websites that aren't social networking sites, but Kurt's major point is that the trust within sites like Facebook can tend to amplify the problem. I have to admit, when I had a Facebook account, I wasn't nearly as cautious as I should have been. I would basically click on whatever I wanted and would accept most applications. I am not usually like that on non-social networking sites, so I can see what Kurt means by a present implicit trust.
Christine Kelemen
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