A data security expert told me how ironic it is that people so concerned about keeping their credit card data private have no qualms about broadcasting their private lives on Facebook. It might not be credit card numbers that users are posting on their Facebook pages, but what fraudster interested in identity theft wouldn't target people who post details of their lives for everyone to see?
Beyond the willing disclosure of personal information on social networking sites, it is becoming evident that the back-end security for online privacy is becoming a concern. Google recently said that its Street View vehicles inadvertently collected data passing over unsecured private networks. Then there's the problem of third party applications exposing user information on social networking sites to advertisers and online information tracking companies.
The security expert said that his company, which is in the business of protecting consumers' card data, has that data locked down in a military-grade facility. The servers are located underground, guarded by security personnel, monitored with security cameras, and only accessed after people go through several steps that involve picture taking, palm print scanning, code entering, and passing through a series of locked, nondescript doors.
This level of security is certainly not realistic for social networking sites and for how data in general is stored and transmitted over the Internet. However, the flaws being exposed point to the need for software developers, social networkers and any Internet-based business that touches sensitive customer data to make data security a higher priority.
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