COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM 2
Problem
Social networks play a great role in helping people connect with their family members
and friends. Other than letting people connect, the social networking sites pose a severe threat to
the privacy of their users and one ought to understand the risks involved. According to Healey,
(2017), hackers might use websites that trick unsuspecting victims to open their websites. Once
they open their sites, they become tracked using spyware that automatically gets installed on
their gadgets without their knowledge. Their personal information gets captured after that and
could be used for various unlawful acts.
Personal information captured from social sites like date of birth and sometimes phone
numbers could land in the wrong hands. The personal information becomes useful to hackers in
performing various acts without the owners' authorization. A person might recover one’s account
through their emails when they acquire all the necessary information. Other mobile apps borrow
permission but acquire personal information from users without their knowledge, (Healey, 2017).
Analysis
Recently, Cambridge Analytica sourced 50 million users’ private data from the just-
concluded US presidential elections. According to Nakaya, (2017), Facebook is one of the social
media companies that made mistakes regarding their user data privacy. Data consultancy firms
like Cambridge Analytica made use of the gap and acquired users’ private data which they used
in running political campaign ads. Facebook is one company among several social media
companies whose users are not aware of the vulnerability and susceptibility of their personal
information accessed and used by other companies.
