You May Want to Rethink What You’re Sending on FB Messenger
You may think you know exactly how much information you’re sharing on the internet, but you could be wrong. Basically, as a writer for Quartz found out, there is a loophole that allows hackers to see exactly which links people are sending on Facebook and then burrow their way into users’ data. And it’s scary easy to figure out.
Every time a link is shared and clicked on, Facebook stores the data. This is pretty normal, or at least it is when the data is not easily breachable. But there is a method of hacking via Facebook ID number that opens up shared links to anyone who knows how to breach the system.
But even if all you’re sending to your friends are cat videos and food porn, you should be concerned. Becomes sometimes information directly tied to your cyber security can live in the links you’re sending — data like your name, location and even secret links and keys to locked documents and websites. And it doesn’t seem like Facebook is going to close this weird loophole.
However, hope for sending links via Messenger is not forever lost. Facebook did just introduce a new feature, rolling out later this year, that allows messages to be sent completely secretly with end-to-end encryption. But until that Secret Messaging is expanded to everyone on the network, you may want to rethink what you’re sending via Messenger.
Are you worried about cyber security? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Photo via Getty)