Millions of people's privacy at risk in recent data leak from Facebook.

4th April 2021

"The leaked data includes the details like full names, Facebook IDs, locations, birthdates, email addresses, and even phone numbers. "

Personal information of 53.3 crores Facebook users from 106 countries has been leaked online from Facebook's database.

A user in a low-level hacking forum on Saturday published the phone numbers and personal data of hundreds of millions of Facebook users for free online.

The leaked data includes the details like full names, Facebook IDs, locations, birthdates, email addresses, and even phone numbers.

According to a report from Business Insider, an American online media company, over 3.2 crore accounts in the US, 1.1 crores in the UK, and 60 lakhs in India have been exposed.

The data that was leaked online also includes the users' posts on the social networking site.

In early 2020 a vulnerability that enabled seeing the phone number linked to Facebook accounts was exploited.

Last December, there were reports of a bug that exposed the personal information that was discovered by Saugat Pokhrel from Nepal.

According to a Facebook spokesperson, the bug was only accessible for a short period of time during a small test.

In November Facebook fixed a critical bug in its Messenger app that could have allowed hackers to conned to personal audio calls.

It seems that at this point Facebook can not do much to fix this situation other than informing the users to remain vigilant in the future.

The users are asked to be alert about "social engineering attacks" by people who may have obtained this information and have wrong intentions.

Even though the leaked data is a couple of years old, it could provide valuable information to cybercriminals.

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Compiled by :

Raj Kapali

Facebook to add physical security keys for high profile accounts by 2021

23rd December 2020

"The security keys are advised for high-profile accounts, but will available for use to any Facebook account holder that wants one."

Beginning next year, Facebook Inc is said to add physical security keys as a way that allows users to verify their identity before logging in to the social network's mobile app. Known by the name Facebook Protect, this feature was used recently by political officials during the 2020 US elections.

The company currently offers an option to require a hardware security key to connect to a desktop computer before each log-in.

Users will be able to purchase a hardware key from retailers, and register it with Facebook, the company said, confirming an earlier report. Facebook is said to have plans for expansion of its security program for high-profile accounts i.e Facebook Protect globally next year.

The physical security keys will help users enable two-factor authentication. The rollout of new security services follows a July hack of a companion social network. As Twitter Inc compromised many celebrity accounts, including those of President-elect Joe Biden and Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.

Currently available in the United States, Facebook Protect offers a way for politicians, government agencies, and election staff to set up additional security provisions such as two-factor authentication and real-time monitoring for potential hacking threats.

The feature is soon to be available for public figures, Journalists, and human rights activists who are prone to become a target of hackers.

source: Reuters