As Facebook users know, a cyber-attack on one person’s profile isn’t enough to bring about changes to the site’s security and privacy practices — unless, of course, that person is Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
That’s exactly what happened this week.
An unknown hacker gained control of Zuckerberg’s fan page and posted this message:
“Let the hacking begin: If facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn’t Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a ‘social business’ the way Nobel Price winner Muhammad Yunus described it? #hackercup2011″
(Yes, the hacker was smart enough to gain administrative access to the page, but doesn’t know what the Nobel Prize is called.)
Facebook’s response? Adding always-on SSL encryption to prevent information from being intercepted by criminals.
Users now have the option of accessing the site via HTTPS. The option can be turned on in the advanced security features in the Account Security section of the Facebook Account Settings page. Just go to “Account>Account settings> Account security” and check “Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible.”
This doesn’t mean the entire site will be completely secure now: Some Facebook features, such as third-party applications, don’t support HTTPS.
More information can be found in a Facebook blog post.