More Facebook security concerns

Using the default settings on Facebook isn't enough to protect you from identity theft, according to security experts.

Researchers from security firm Sophos examined the profiles of 200 Facebook users and found that 75 per cent of them allowed other Facebook visitors to see their full profiles, regardless of whether they were friends or not.

By allowing their personal details to be seen by strangers, these Facebook members are putting themselves at risk of identity theft.

Many of them may not have realised their profiles had become insecure, because when you join a new network in Facebook, your profile is opened up to all members of that network if you have not adjusted the security settings.

"I was flabbergasted when I joined a network on Facebook using a profile which I thought was secure, only to find Facebook had changed a number of settings and was opening me up to millions of strangers. Who was to say that cybercriminals weren't in that network too?" said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

Cluley called on Facebook to take the lead on security and change its default settings.

"It's now time for the networking phenomenon to take the next step and change its default settings so that when members join a network, they have to actively click to leave their details on show, rather than automatically letting it all hang out online," he said.

The potential security risks of Facebook have been in the news recently, the use of Facebook in the workplace being a particularly contentious issue.

The Trades Union Congress called for employers to set down guidelines concerning the acceptable use of the internet in the workplace.

And back in August, Sophos found that a high proportion of Facebook users were accepting friend requests from complete strangers.

To check your privacy settings in Facebook, click on the 'privacy' tab in the top right hand corner of the page.

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