Twitter Third Party Applications Permission Model Will Minimize Hacking Attacks to Users
As covered in a May 19, 2011 Technorati.com article “Twitter Releases a New Control to Enhance Privacy Protection”, Twitter’s users are happy to learn that the Twitter Development Team is listening to the user claims for more options and control when running third party applications.
The new permission screen is in place. This article looks at the subject from another angle, the malicious attacks related one. In the Twitter Blog entry covering the issue, no mention is made that the changes are very important in preventing or reducing malicious attacks made by malware applications, evil rogue applications and deceptive third party applications whose only purpose is to make money by forcing users to useless surveys and/or taking money out of people pockets by shady business deals and even identity theft.
No business likes to outright mention that the business Web site unsuspecting users are victimized almost every week. Sadly, due to its success, user population and complexity, Twitter is one of them. I receive information about, read and cover some of the Twitter hacks in my own blog. Cyber criminals are very active in Twitter. The third party application permission model being implemented now, silently address this very subject, in addition to the stated “Privacy Protection” issue.
From now on, users who are taken to authorize a third party application by a malicious rogue application or deceptive means, have a second chance to say no or notice that they are being taken to this step by the bad guys. A very simple and clear more detailed Permissions Screen will, as Twitter explains, take you to the following steps; “When you first connect an application to Twitter, we’ll give you more detailed information about what you’re allowing the app to do with your account. These activities may include reading your Tweets, seeing who you follow, updating your profile, posting Tweets on your behalf, or accessing your direct messages. If you’re not comfortable with the level of access an application requests, simply say “No, thanks.”
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