CHAPTER 4
Threat Assessment

Threats constantly evolve, and those in the social media sphere are no exception. We are all familiar with spyware, and most of us have probably installed spyware scanners and antivirus products from companies such as McAfee and Symantec. But is the current crop of antispyware/antimalware software capable of stopping malicious apps in Facebook or ones that are downloaded via shortened URLs in a Twitter post? One of the original spyware hacks for Facebook was “Secret Crush.” This application would purportedly tell you if someone secretly liked you. (Having to rely on Facebook for this is a whole different problem for some.) When you installed the application, however, it actually installed Zango Spyware. That software then delivered ads to your computer. Clickjacking, of which this is an example, is the latest buzzword for malicious applications and links in social networks.

The challenge for antispyware products is that the user, who is usually logged in as administrator on his own machine, is consciously authorizing the installation. Spyware blockers are going to have a harder time as people integrate business functions with Facebook and interact with more Facebook applications. A company has to have stricter control of the end-user system, restrict the end users’ ability to install applications on their machines, and monitor for new malicious social networking hacks. The home user, who does not have an IT support team on her side, is more prone to being tricked into installing these malicious applications. And as people become more educated about the potential danger of installing applications through social media, the threats will evolve.

This chapter identifies the threats that your company faces from attacks from people, processes, and technology. There are malicious users, competitors, and customers who can impact your company, right along with the typical cyberattacks we are so used to seeing. Threats have to be identified, managed, and stopped to reduce the risk you face in the social media landscape. In this chapter, we walk you through the various threat scenarios that may be new to you because the use of social media is relatively new, and we identify current threats that have made their way onto social media sites. We then categorize these threats using the H.U.M.O.R. Matrix, and finally we delve into the process of assessing the damage and developing a response.