Today our information exists in more formats and on more mediums than ever before. On the internet in particular, we engage in social media, where, linked behind a short password, exists information ranging from our name, to our email, to our workplace. What’s worse is that information from these accounts, such as our email, can often link us to other accounts with our bank information, address, or worse. Recently Facebook was hacked, allowing the information of 50 million people (or more) to be at risk. Is this simply the price we pay to use social media? This week explores the hack, and some of the implications of changing cybersecurity.
Instructors, click on the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt, a debate question, as well as other assessment questions.
Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Security in the Age of Social Media
Video/Audio
James Lyne: Everyday cybercrime – and what you can do about it.
How do you pick up a malicious online virus—the kind of malware that snoops on your data and taps your bank account? Often, it’s through simple things you do each day without thinking twice. James Lyne reminds us that it’s not only the NSA that’s watching us, but ever-more-sophisticated cybercriminals, who exploit both weak code and trusting human nature.
Hackers: The internet’s immune system | Keren Elazari
The beauty of hackers, says cybersecurity expert Keren Elazari, is that they force us to evolve and improve. Yes, some hackers are bad guys, but many are working to fight government corruption and advocate for our rights. By exposing vulnerabilities, they push the internet to become stronger and healthier, wielding their power to create a better world.
Articles
- Facebook hack gets worse as company admits Instagram and other apps were exposed too | Independent
- Facebook hack reveals the perils of using a single account to log in to other services | The Conversation
- Facebook hack could hasten regulation as Sen. Warner says Congress must “step up” | TechCrunch
- How Facebook Was Hacked And Why It’s A Disaster For Internet Security | Forbes
- The Fate of Online Trust in the Next Decade | Pew Research Center
Assessment
- Writing: Why is internet security important? Why is the security of our information on social media important?
- Debate: Is it the responsibility of Facebook users or Facebook to manage information and keep it safe? Is it simply a risk we all take on when we engage in social media?
- Poll: Do you believe internet security will get better in the next decade? Yes or No
- Short Answer: How do you now view Facebook, in light of recent hacks?
Current Events Quiz
How many people does the Facebook hack directly affect?
- Just me n’ Randy
- 50 million
- 20 million
- 5 billion
Name some of the other sites the hack affects.
- Grindr and Wells Fargo
- NetScape and Internet Explorer
- MySpace and Friendster
- Instagram and Tinder
Some members of Congress are now arguing the hack means the internet needs___?
- More tech education in schools
- New markets
- Less regulation
- More regulation
This hack has ___ the trust between internet users and the companies that protect their data.
- Tarnished
- Bolstered
- Eroded
- Lifted up
Speaking about the next decade, a number of polled internet experts predict trust online will___?
- Visit Rio de Janeiro
- Diminish
- Gain footing
- Spiral