"How Shutterfly and Other Social Sites Leave Your Kids Vulnerable to Hackers" Response

"How Shutterfly and Other Social Sites Leave Your Kids Vulnerable to Hackers," by Dana Liebelson is an article that talks about the dangers of social websites. According to Liebelson, parents and coaches of athletic organizations use Shutterfly and other social sites to post information about their children. This information includes pictures, home addresses, phone numbers, and meeting locations. The majority of the pages on these social sites are not protected by an SSL and therefore are able to be hacked by anyone using the same open wifi. This is concerning because strangers could access a child's whereabouts and meeting times all through the Internet. These social sites can easily be hacked using a specific software program. Hacking into these sites that are not protected by SSL is so easy that even a person who is not technologically savvy could do it. Liebelson warns parents and coaches to be aware of what they are posting on social sites.

This article is a definite wake up call. It is scary to think that a website that you think is safe could easily be hacked and all of your personal information viewed. I think that it is extremely important to be careful when posting about children as well. The safety of our children should be our number one concern. I think that it is best to use a website that is protected with an SSL as a means of communicating with other parents and coaches. After all, the contact should be kept as personable as possible. As a future teacher I will make sure that my online communication with parents and other teachers is kept through a secured website. I also think that it is important to notify parents of these types of issues so that they can be aware and protect their children as well. I thought that some of the links that Mother Jones posted were less relevant than the links posted in the New York Times article. Overall, this article was very informative and has given me a better idea of what to look for when setting up online accounts, websites, and other communicative means.