Background
The personal data of over 500 million Facebook users has been posted online in a low-level hacking forum, making it widely accessible to anyone. Researchers have found approximately 213,000 Bruneian records might be exposed to data leakage. The leak includes personal information such as phone numbers, full names, location, email address, birthdates, and biographical information.
Impact
- The data could be used by hackers to impersonate people and commit fraud.
- May lead to bad actors taking advantage of the data to perform social engineering attacks, phishing attacks, or hacking attempts.
- It may also lead to instances of online stalking.
Recommendations
- Reset the password for your Facebook account. Use a minimum 10 characters and a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Use a different password for each of your accounts.
- Use two-step verification for social media, email, and other important accounts.
- Change your password every 3-6 months.
- Limit sharing of personal information (e.g., full name, birthdate, address, phone number) on social media as an attacker can take advantage of your personal details.
- Click links with caution. Social media accounts are regularly hacked. Look out for language or content that does not sound like something your friend would post.
- Take time to browse all the privacy settings and control who can see your profile, past posts and future posts. Make sure your phone number and email address are hidden from public view.
- Familiarize yourself with the privacy policies of the social media channels you use.
- Protect your computer by installing antivirus software and set it to update automatically.
- Ensure that your browser, operating system, and software are kept up to date.
- Remember to log off when you are done.
References