Facebook Spam – How to Avoid Being a Victim?

Social networking has been a general practice on the internet at present. During the past, we had social networking sites which didn’t sustain a prolonged time compare to those whose growth had resulted to popularity.  Undeniably, the one who excels among its competitors is Facebook. It has more than millions of account owners throughout the globe who connects with their fellow Facebook friends every day adding news members continuously.  Facebook as they say will always be free which added to reasons why it has become very popular. Facebook just like other social networking sites allows connecting its users to their friends, family, relatives and even to strangers in a more advanced and comprehensive way not making distance a hindrance.

In spite of the advantages of what Facebook can bring along with it, disadvantages are tailing it too.  There are a lot of disadvantages Facebook can give a user especially if they are not aware of it and doesn’t know how to prevent or avoid it. One of the most irritating and spam frightening flaws is Facebook spam.  Well, it’s not really happening on Facebook alone but to other social networking sites as well. Spam is the recurring redundant message that advertises a product, event or spreads information. A lot of social account users nearly receive daily spam coming from unknown users which are not accurately legitimate which can lead to possible security threats.

Here some ideas on how to avoid being a victim:

• Be cautious of every application that has access in posting information on your Facebook wall without your permission or knowledge. Following links from unidentified users may lead you to trouble. Before clicking on some links or apps, take time to Google it. Be vigilant on checking the Notifications Settings of your account to check which apps have access to your wall. Allow only apps you are familiar with.
• Make use of Facebook spam filters reporting tool. It can help by warning Facebook concerning possible harm from third party spam and also user generated contents.
• Avoid giving out almost all your information on apps. Some legal apps are asking lots of information details but are not really necessary to answer. Only give out those necessary details but not to the extent that you’re providing those apps almost all of your information. By allowing apps to access your information, you are giving already permission to invade some of your sensitive information.
• Unreliable spam apps also simply work by sending out links to your Facebook friends on your behalf.  Usually, this tactic works well until someone tells you about such matter. Be vigilant on your notifications, check your access rights and if you think some suspicious apps, take immediate action by deleting or revoking its access.
• Regularly check your Facebook Settings to check if there are spam apps that accidentally or unknowingly got access.
• Click jacking on Facebook is another common spam where a user is directed to a page with automatic “like” button and done even without the users’ permission. Click jacking is easy to distribute among Facebook users every time a user happens to click it, it would automatically flood on their News Feed. This would get a bigger chance of getting clicked or shared by friends who saw it thus making a ripple effect.

Facebook has been part of the daily lives of the people. It has been a daily routine to everyone in communicating with their loved ones and acquaintance. Due to the uprising fame and as technology arises, there is lot of new things invented and made for to help us but unfortunately bring along liabilities to us. They say, all things have a pro and cons and with the upgrading technology it is also purposely created to do harm to others. In the world of internet, Facebook is one hot pick that almost everyone recognizes Facebook and owns account to this social networking site. But due to its popularity, there are also many spam and viruses that comes with the site that users may encounter. We need to equip ourselves against these internet maliscious activities to prevent this annoying spams and viruses. We should be observant and very diligent on what to click or share with our fellow Facebook friends. Usually we intend to experience spam and viruses because we are much curious with the appealing words and phrases we see. Also, don’t give your password and e-mail to the links that you see. With this it can help you prevent from the inconveniences of spam and virus. Lastly, Facebook has come up with the reports regarding spams so you can help stop it and preventing your friends to be a victim. So next time you open your Facebook and encounter such, remember these ideas to prevent yourself from being victimized of Facebook spam. Happy but sensible surfing!

Resource Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://jopetkovic.com

http://www.geeks4share.com

http://ezinearticles.com

http://ezinearticles.com

http://www.allfacebook.com

http://help.wishpot.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://ja-jp.facebook.com

http://www.brookes.ac.uk

http://community.websense.com

http://mashable.com

http://kherize5.com

Hackers Targets Gmail Accounts

Google released recent report concerning Chinese hackers’ that they are compromising a number of personal Gmail accounts owned by important United States officials, military staff and press. According to a United State company, a campaign in getting hold of passwords started in Jinan, Shandong China and was meant in observing emails. Fortunately Google announced that their security was not infringed but however specified account holders’ were notified that their passwords were acquired by means of phishing. Not only US account owners are targeted but as wells as Chinese political activists and other Asian officials particularly that of South Korea.

The purpose of these attempts appears to be monitoring the content of a particular email account and those responsible individuals might be using stolen usernames and passwords to alter their forward settings and allocation settings. Gmail allows an email account owner to automatically forward emails and also admits others to access their own account. But according to a press briefing of press secretary Jay Carney of White House, they have investigated the said reports but believe that the official US government email accounts are not infringed.

According to Google, spear phishing was used in email scams where a certain email account owner is cheated or mislead into revealing their login information to a webpage that resembles or appears to be affiliated with Gmail web service of Google by hackers. When the victim receives a spoofed message from a known address which usually contains attachments or links that says View or Download, once it is clicked or opened, the victim is lead to a faked login webpage. When the victim logs in, by that time the victim already unintentionally gave access to its hackers regarding their credentials. Once the hackers obtained their purpose, they would probably change the forwarding settings and forwards all future messages to another account which is made strongly to imitate the victim’s ID. Hackers would also read the victim’s mail and gather credentials of a victim’s associates and even family and colleagues. They most probably would use the victim’s information in their future email scams.

Google emphasize that their internal system has not been affected and that these account phishing were not a product of security threat campaign with Gmail itself. Rather, it would help to let users to protect their confidential information online.

Resource Links:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com

http://jopetkovic.com

http://internetsecurityhome.com

http://www.whitehouse.gov

http://www.pcmag.com

http://contagiodump.blogspot.com

http://mail.google.com

Facebook Group – is it Beneficial to Brands Compared to Facebook Page?

Since Facebook became the king of all social networking sites, a lot of people are getting attached and engaged with it. Not just tech savvies but to common individuals as well. There are various numbers of benefits brought by Facebook to its account users such as ordinary individuals, businessmen, students, and tech savvy people. Facebook comes along with it advantages and also disadvantages. There is a lot of security concerns evolves along with its benefits.

Since the creation of Facebook Page or sometimes referred to as a Fan Page, allows individuals such as public citizens and organizations to be able to reach out and deliver information to their fans, audience or customers. It is a public profile that allows its account users to share their business, products or services to gain an online presence by means of Facebook. It can be considered as a page where you meet online, discuss issues and gain information, message on forum box, RSS and more. There are two available accounts you can choose from, a personal account or a business account. A regular Facebook account has a maximum number of 5,000 friends while a Facebook Page has no limited numbers.

In contrast to Facebook Page, Facebook Groups accounts are focused on organizing within topics or ideas. Groups can function as a very efficient marketing campaign. Significantly, groups work as a tool for creating awareness about a variety of ideas. The main characteristic behind Facebook group is the capability to make invite member of their choice or bounded to particular networks. Before, Facebook Group was an inadequately recognized feature with functions that intersect with Pages, resulting for some brands to get perplexed if their Facebook account should be a Page or a Group. Nowadays, Group is a fast and simple way to bring an exact group of friends in Facebook jointly about a precise issue or interest. It also aims to bring context to a Facebook user’s experience and brands will find means to get the most out of them as well.

For the past two years, confusion on the difference and efficiency on a certain field brings questions to marketers whether which among the two they should use. The following are the two main differences between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group;

Facebook Page

• Can be sorted as similar to a blog. It needed updates from you similar to a web site needs such as a broad product category or just a state of being or statuses.
• Page details and posts can be viewed by the public and available to every person on Facebook.
• Everybody can like a Page to get connected and receive News Feed updates. There is no maximum numbers to like a Page.
• The admins of the page are able to share posts using the page’s name. Customized tabs are also available for Pages.

Facebook Group

• Can be sorted as similar to a chat room where the focus is on the conversations or discussions you posted or by other members. You can discuss about a particular issue, products or business, organizing an event, or some issues you share with them.
• Groups have more privacy settings compare to Pages such as posts that are only visible to its members when it is a private or closed Group.
• Members must accepted by other members.
• Members get notifications by default when one member posts and can partake in chats, add photos to albums shared with the group, work together on group docs, and can request each and every member to group events.

The answer depends on what an individual have in mind and reasons why they prefer Facebook Page or Facebook Group. One thing is obvious; Groups will in no way replace Pages. Brands should on no account use them in exchange for each other. Consider that not all account owners have access to newly created Groups and with Facebook platform and some features are subjected to change without notice.  But for inspired, knowledgeable and connected brands, Facebook Group can be an influential and multipurpose means to connect and initiate with fans.

Resource Links:

http://jopetkovic.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://en.wiktionary.org

http://benefitof.net

http://www.facebook.com

http://securitywing.com

http://mashable.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://masterful-marketing.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.crunchbase.com

http://www.allfacebook.com

Facebook – Concerned with Its Users Privacy?

Do you think Facebook is actually concerned about our Facebook accounts privacy? In our own opinion no because only Facebook information with those accounts that are public status updates are shown on Google’s search results. If Facebook?s concern is to encourage its users to lockdown their Facebook accounts, they may possibly inhibit the efficacy of Google’s data mining attempts.

In a simple point of view coming from a typical Facebook account owner, we can tell that Facebook is somewhat implying its aggravation towards Google simply because they had found how to use its data with no use of its API therefore inhibiting Facebook to be in command on how users data can be managed.

Recently, intriguing news had come out stating that PR Burson-Marsteller had contacted several reporters and encouraged them to perform investigation on Google’s Social Circles feature that is used in Google’s Social Search that raised attention concerning the violation of the privacy of countless Americans. Chris-Soghoian was asked to ghostwrite on a post concerning the issue. On the other hand, he published a number of those e-mails. Soghoian asked the Burson representative who financed for that campaign but refused to name the client. Few days after, a spokesperson of Facebook admitted that the agent behind the smear campaign according to a story published by The Daily Beast is Facebook. Obviously, Facebook by no means should have hired a Personal Relations group or person to conduct raise awareness regarding this issue. Whatever the main reason for Facebook to execute it, surely it all comes down to account users privacy concerns.

Nowadays since social media has taken place, privacy may refer to anonymity. When something is confidential to a person, it typically signifies something inside them that is believed naturally special or personally vulnerable. Also, the level to which private information is uncovered thus relies on how the public will get this information. Privacy is the capability of a person or group to seclude details concerning themselves and thus make them of their choice. The limits and contents of what is believed confidential vary between cultures and persons, but shares fundamental common ideas. Facebook implies the value of privacy, but are they concerned with their own account users for real? Do they provide the maximum privacy security to its account owners?

Resource Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.pcworld.com

http://www.theblogismine.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

http://www.thedailybeast.com

http://webtrends.about.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

Benefits of a Blog to your Business

I believe that each business must have a blog to maintain the lines of communication among a businessman and its possible clients or consumers. Blog has various benefits which a business can achieve when done correctly. The following are what a blog can offer you and your business.

Blog enhances brand perception or awareness - Business blogs generates a unique chance in sharing your ideas, thoughts and assistance to your audience which in the end would bring in more chances. Guest blogging is an additional great tactic in building up an audience. Also, new staffs and guests can acquire a better possibility to recognize a company’s product presentation, improvement and policy.

Blog designs your business – A blog applies a human touch in a business and continues to inform your customers on the latest and motivating events occurring in your company. A blog is about being a normal individual and letting your character emerge. Contribute about a personal experience like how to run a business in your own point of view. Build trust in being personal, so create a blog with an informal tone so the public can comprehend and communicate.

A blog can lead them to your web site – The purpose of your commercial blog is to link back to your company’s web site. Mostly when consumers are searching for a product or service, they will likely to look for information regarding what they are looking for. Therefore they will find your blog before finding your web site, which can also give you a core for grouping content by means of the social networks such as Facebook.  If you are limited with time, you can employ a virtual assistant to offer some help.

Blog helps in unique advertising campaign – A blog can help in getting down to your company’s central principles and values. Work on a minimal and direct manner in creating a strong content that shows an understandable idea. Precisely, you have acquired a lot of chances to get accomplishments you desire from your readers through blog content compare to a number of ads.

Blog ranks you as a professional in your field of work – Famous and successful brands such as Apple go beyond their customers expectations in exerting great efforts which results in being the talk of the people. Blogging is an ideal example of providing and giving your best to be a reliable source.

A blog can attract audience to your web site continuously – Attracting audience to your web site in a continuous state is another benefit you can achieve in having a blog. When prospect consumers have checked your site and recognized your products or the services you offers but you don’t provide them good reasons for them to return, they will most likely not to return and purchase them. In the contrary, blogs can offer them what can be useful for them on their convenience without the difficulties like an email would do.

Blogging is a communicator channel between you and your consumers – you can improve your business through getting feedbacks like comments, complains, or suggestions from your consumers through forums. You can also do a survey in finding out what they experience and expects with your business.

Post topics on a regular basis. This can help your audience by giving them reliable information and ideas where they can communicate well. Interesting and knowledge-equipped blogs are most likely attracts your audience to visit your web site. Communicate with your readers and expect a higher number of visitors in time.

Resource Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.quickonlinetips.com

http://www.problogger.net

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.theibisnetworkblog.com

http://www.smartbloggerz.com