‘Facebook’ Users Were At Risk Of Financial And Social Ruin

News about hackers getting inside some of the most secure networks and accounts in the world has been increasing of late. In response, major social networks and video streaming sites are urging users to change their passwords. However, in addition to the fact that the CEO of “Facebook,” Mark Zuckerberg had his “Twitter” account hacked recently, it would seem that the social media giant has had a vulnerability that could have ruined the financial security and social stability of its users.

Experts from a security firm called “Check Point” were able to take over conversations happening on “Facebook’s” online chat or the mobile app “Messenger” as they were taking place. Not only that, they were able to change the course of the conversation, which could have devastating implications.

The security firm already notified “Facebook” about the security risk, but they made a blog post about the vulnerability, explaining exactly what it means for users. For one thing, hackers with malicious intent could have used the vulnerability to conduct a string of fraudulent transactions with other users in order to steal money, items, or information; and this is only the biggest concern on the list.

Hackers could have also made damaging claims, pronouncements, or promises through chats that could have severely impacted the social stability of users. Whether it was false assurances to loved ones or professing unreasonable declarations to strangers, malicious individuals could have caused significant problems in numerous ways. 

Finally, the breach could have led to malware getting distributed among unsuspecting users who think that they are getting messages from people they know. Malware could not only damage the computers or mobile devices of users, it could also be the precursor to phishing schemes.

Facebook downplayed the issue through a blog post, saying that the security risk was a relatively minor one. The post said that the only ones who were really at risk were those using the “Messenger” app on “Android” devices.