With more than 132 million unique visitors in 2008, Facebook is considered to be the world’s leading social networking site (during the same year, MySpace had a mere 117 million unique visitors). And, in terms of Internet traffic, some rank Facebook as the planet’s fourth busiest Web site. So it is no wonder why almost everyone seems to have a Facebook account: It is a primary means for many to “see and be seen” and to keep track of family and friends, etc.

It is also no wonder why a number of unscrupulous Facebook application developers have been using Facebook quizzes to glean personal information from accounts. Even worse, if you have not taken a Facebook quiz, your profile information is revealed when one of your friends takes a quiz even if your profile is set to “private.”

This “incidental leaking” of your profile information via Facebook quizzes is supposedly going to be stopped, although Facebook has not said exactly when it plans to implement its new privacy safeguards. In the meantime, the American Civil Liberties Union has set up a Facebook quiz of their own to demonstrate how much of your profile information is accessed when you take a quiz. Google the term “ACLU Facebook quizzes really know about you” and then take the quiz yourself.

Even though the majority of the people using Facebook and MySpace don’t pose a threat, many recruiters use these social networking sites to sniff out data about job applicants. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 30 percent of hiring managers say they use Facebook searches to research information about new and potential hires. You may want to keep that in mind when contemplating posting drunken party photos or risqué quiz results.
Here are some tips on using Facebook wisely:
1. Consider restricting access to your profile. Allowing strangers to learn everything about you is risky.
2. Keep your private information private. Never post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, financial information or schedule.
3. Choose a screen name that is different from your real name.
4. Think twice before posting your photo.
5. Don’t post information that makes you vulnerable to a physical attack. Revealing where you plan to meet your friends, your class schedule or your street address is almost an open invitation for someone to find you. Remember that a photo of you in front of the Frontier tells strangers you are in Albuquerque and likely attending UNM.
6. Be suspicious. Don’t take any information you receive from a new online contact at face value. The Internet makes it easy for people to say or do things they would never say or do in public or in face-to-face interactions. Protecting yourself is the smart thing to do.

If you have questions about computer security or have ideas for future topics, please feel free to contact me at Mcarr@unm.edu.

Mike Carr is the UNM director of Information Assurance.