Facebook Timeline: Secure or not?

Posted on 21.02.2012 by editor

All Facebook account will switch to the new Timeline profile format in the next few weeks.

Security firm Sophos polled 4110 respondents to find out what Facebook users think of the new Timeline. The response was overwhelmingly negative.

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In its Naked Security blog, Sophos points out, “We can’t claim that the poll was scientific – and the kind of people who participate in our polls might be more conscious of privacy and security-related issues than the average man in the street. Nevertheless, it does seem to me that there are some genuine reasons to pause before embracing the Facebook Timeline as an entirely positive thing.”

Facebook users are worried that their data accumulated on file might possibly be accessible to strangers. It will be much more easier for identity thieves to profile people and impersonate someone.

Facebook may still be safe to use. All one needs to do is study the new Timeline profile format, especially on how to use the privacy controls. And the most important thing, learn the value of Self Control. Control the urge to post anything and everything about yourself. Believe me, no one is interested to know that you bought a new trailer hitch or you’re eating pizza with 10 other people in this particular restaurant (complete with geo-tagging).

Your safety on Facebook actually depends on you.

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Are You Ready for Facebook Timeline?

Posted on 20.02.2012 by editor

Facebook is making Timeline compulsory and will be switching all users to the new profile format in the next few weeks.

Paul McDonald, engineering manager on the Timeline team, wrote on Facebook’s official blog, “When you get timeline, you’ll have 7 days to preview what’s there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it.”

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Here are some important things you should know before this new forced upgrade takes effect:

  • Activity Log

    • Only you can see your activity log. This is where you can see all your posts and activities from when you started using Facebook up to the present time. With the use of the dropdown menu beside each story in your activity log, you have the power to feature, hide or delete any of your posts.

  • Past Post Privacy

    • If you want to limit your past posts to “Friends” only, go to Privacy Settings then go to Limit the Audience for Past Posts. You can change the audience by clicking the small pencil icon at the top right of individual posts to edit or hide them from the Timeline.

  • Public by Default

    • If you want the entire world to see your post, then you’re in luck because any post that you make defaults to Public. But if you want privacy, choose “Friends” in the inline audience selector when you post something. You can even select “Only Me” for posts that you don’t want to share with anyone.

  • View As

    • You can check how your timeline appears to other people by clicking the small gear at the top of your timeline, then select “View As.” You can see how your timeline appears to a specific friend or the public by scrolling down to the box that says: Know what others see on your profile.

  • Facebook Apps

    • Some apps will share your activities without you pressing the “Share” or “Like” button. For example Spotify, it defaults to sharing details of the last song you’ve listened to. Be very careful with the Facebook apps that you use if you value your “privacy”.

    Curious if video conferencing services are available on the new format? Learn more about all the controls that Facebook has added here: https://www.facebook.com/about/control.

    If you want to switch to Timeline now, go to Facebook’s “Introducing Timeline” page, and click “Get Timeline.” You’ll be given one week to edit it before it goes live.

    If you’re already on Timeline, do share what you like and don’t like about this new profile format.

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