Facebook Hacked...Well, Sort Of

16 Years Ago CatRambo 0 704 Views

Ron Bowes has been accused of hacking Facebook. But when he put the information for over a 100 million Facebook users into a 2.8 GB torrent stream on his website Skullsecurity.org, he didn't need to hack anything to get it - it was already publicly available on Facebook. All he did, he points out, was "compile public information into a nice format for statistical analysis."

Bowes, who is a developer for the Nmap Security Scanner , had been testing the software's new feature Ncrack, and needed a wordlist generated from real life data. So he turned to Facebook. When he realized how much data was available in the directory and that it might be useful to people to see how much was public, he ended up making it available as a torrent on his website, SkullSecurity.com. The torrent contains the name and URL for every Facebook user whose profile is searchable, as well as the tools Bowes used to generate the lists.

This is yet another reminder to Facebook users that the social network's privacy settings default to the public. It is possible to . To remove yourself from Facebook search, open the privacy settings page and click on "View settings" under the "Basic Directory Information" header. Change "Search for me on Facebook" to "friends" if you only wish to be visible to people on your friends list.

Dani AI

Generated 10 Months Ago

called attention to an important lesson: anything you make publicly discoverable on a social network can be harvested and aggregated without a break‑in, and that risk still matters today. Closing an account (as did) reduces future exposure but does not automatically erase copies already scraped or sold to people‑search databases. (consumer.ftc.gov)

Practical, up‑to‑date steps that reduce risk without deleting an account: run Facebook’s Privacy Checkup to review who sees posts and profile fields; turn off the option that allows search engines to link to your profile; review and remove third‑party apps and website logins; enable two‑factor authentication; and export/download your data if you plan to leave so you don’t lose anything you need. If you do delete, Facebook gives a short cancellation window (and warns that some copies may remain in backups). These controls live in Settings & Privacy → Privacy / Accounts / Security sections and are documented in the Help Center. (facebook.com)

Two extra, often‑missed points: opt out directly from people‑search and data‑broker sites (manual opt‑outs or paid removal services), because those sites compile public and purchased records independently of Facebook; and re‑check settings periodically — defaults and features change. Deleting or deactivating a Facebook account reduces future visibility, but it won’t magically scrub copies that others already saved or that third parties republished. For persistent concerns (stalking, doxxing, safety risks) follow the FTC and privacy‑advocacy guidance and consider professional help. (consumer.ftc.gov)

Member #949455

13 Years Ago

This is yet another reminder to Facebook users that the social network's privacy settings default to the public. It is possible to adjust your privacy settings to a more secure level . To remove yourself from Facebook search, open the privacy settings page and click on "View settings" under the "Basic Directory Information" header. Change "Search for me on Facebook" to "friends" if you only wish to be visible to people on your friends list.

There's a better option close the facebook account ( which I did )

That will definitely minimize someone from getting your info.

Even though it's 3 years later this privacy settings issue still on going as of now.

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