One Step Ahead: Almanac Security Tips - 2013

Table of Contents (view all)

Spring Cleaning Your Office? Know What to Do with E-Waste
Keep Your Identity Safe When Filing Taxes This Year
Why use Penn+Box when Storing Data in the Cloud
Mobile Device Security - 3 Recommendations for Cloud Users (Hint: That's You!)
Be Aware of QR Code Risks
It’s Data Privacy Month: Update Your Facebook Privacy Settings and More
How Are You Celebrating Data Privacy Month?
Stay Secure while Working on Public Wi-Fi Networks
Protecting Your Finances During This Year's Holiday Shopping Season
Cloud and You
Security and Privacy Online Training & Tools
October: Free Secure Disposal of Paper and Electronics at Employee Resource Fair; NCSAM
Student Privacy - What Do I Need To Know? A FERPA Reminder
Top 10 Tips for Securing Your Smartphone or Tablet
Working Off Campus? Some Tips to Consider

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Tagged with social networking , privacy

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Almanac Vol. 55, No. 27

Be Careful with Facebook Apps

As an older generation joins their co-workers, old friends, and maybe a few uncomfortable teenagers on Facebook, it's time for a primer on privacy:

1. Be careful with Facebook apps.
2. Check and recheck your privacy settings.

Facebook apps are software programs usually intended to allow users to connect, interact, and entertain themselves. Some apps, like Photos and Wall, were written by Facebook, but the vast majority are written by 400,000+ third-party developers.

When you install an app, the developer can see everything on Facebook that you can see: all of your personal information, and everything that you can see about your friends and Network neighbors. (Networks are groups of Facebook users. Most Penn faculty, staff, students and alums are in the UPENN network.) Similarly, your personal information is available to developers through any apps installed by your friends or Network neighbors. App developers can store this information on their servers outside of Facebook and must agree not to misuse their privileged access, but Facebook has no controls to prevent or detect abuse. To protect your privacy, you can limit what developers can see about you through your friends' apps, but that is not the default setting.

So be sure to check your privacy settings regularly at www.facebook.com/privacy. Click on Applications to control what information third-party developers can see about you through your friends' and Network neighbors' Facebook apps, and to avoid having your purchases at eBay, Travelocity, Blockbuster and other sites advertised to your friends by Facebook Beacon. Click on Profile to control who can see your birthday, phone number, friends, activities, interests, and more. Click on Search to control who can search for you with search engines like Google. Click on News Feed and Wall to control who can see your chat conversations and posts exchanged with friends, and to opt out of Social Ads that announce your online purchases and group activities.

To see what apps you have installed, log on to Facebook, and click on Settings->Application Settings.