Hackers “want you to jump off of the Facebook server and jump onto another server, so it can take your [information],” Andrus said.
Facebook apps can be a source of malware on campus networks, but an application launched last fall claims to scan Facebook news feeds for infected links or posts.
BitDefender’s Safego reviews Facebook pages using cloud computing and provides a privacy rating that tells users how vulnerable they are to a social media phishing attack.
Facebook use is “already embedded” in higher education, Domen said, meaning IT officials will have to tread lightly in policing Facebook use among its network users.
“It seems like there’s only a handful of people on campus that aren’t on Facebook,” he said. “So this challenge is going to continue.”
For more on keeping campus networks secure, see:
- Research: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - April 2, 2020
- Number 1: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - December 31, 2014
- 6 reasons campus networks must change - September 30, 2014