BRAMSCHE, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / November 14, 2022 / Amid the digital revolution era, social media platforms have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Its multipurpose use for social and commercial activities has drawn lots of attention to it and attracted lots of subscribers. Currently, the active users on these platforms amount to about 4.7 billion people, which is more than half of the world's population. However, despite its enormous reach, entertainment activities, and financial benefits for brands and individuals, it is gradually becoming an avenue for cyberbullying.
This has led to widespread concerns surrounding the level of hate speech, fake news, and other cyber threats associated with social media. Currently, more than 70% of teenagers with social media handles have experienced some form of slander on these platforms. The ripple effects of this issue have been found to have adverse effects on the mental health of the victims. Some of the perpetrators of these unpleasant activities have been found to be sponsored by various interest and hate groups to propagate their negative propaganda.
The Toxic Social Media Dilemma
The social media dilemma is that the advertising model for social platforms is the underlying financial structure they use to generate revenue. Advertisers are not adequately audited or vetted, as they can advertise as long as they have the funds for it. Social media platforms have tracking pixels that serve as a tool for its advertisers to record engagement statistics and their ROI.
Numerous research has shown these pixels are capable of capturing information about the demographics and user behavior of active social media users. They gather this information from personal details like calls, messages, and other forms of web activity through their interactions with the keypads on their smart devices. The social media platforms then relay the data received back to various unknown advertisers, making their subscribers prone to attacks from adversaries, competitors, and other Nations.
Michael Goedeker's Journey to Tackling Cyber Attacks
Michael Goedeker is the author of "The Social Media Dilemma: Exposing the Pitfalls and Risks Behind the Glamour of Using Social Media" and the CEO of HakDefNet International. His motivation to tackle this widespread challenge was born out of a first-hand experience of getting attacked on these social network platforms. These attacks became more intense when he and other users on his timeline discussed important topics centered on protecting oneself online.
This challenge inspired him to carry out intensive research for Heriot-Watt University, for a DBA - Doctor of Business Administration to seek out the most effective ways to mitigate it. The topic was centered on if companies and SMSs (small medium-sized businesses) were attacked by these types of people, or adversaries on social networks; and how they were being attacked if the findings reflected any form of violence. He carried this out, intending to use the research results to help address the issue. However, the evaluation report showed there was a threat to these businesses. These findings were used by HakDefNet International for the development of the Social Network Shaman App
Social Network Shaman App
"Shaman" is a Siberian word that means "making something in darkness come to light." As the name implies, Social Network Shaman enlightens consumers about the adverse effects of unsolicited data usage of social media end users by advertisement brands. The App unveils how the tracking pixels from social media platforms record the nitty-gritty details of what their subscribers do on their individual devices. It also equips its users with tools for surfing social networks securely.
It's a cross-platform mobile and web-based app available through its website and all mobile app stores. The key segments on its dashboard are "learn", "track" and "community". The segment for learning contains resources on social media audiences, false advertising, hate groups, and other helpful details for securing their social media accounts. At the same time, the community section has various subject channels where users get data security updates and news on detected threats from active users of the App. It's a safe space where people can file complaints if they identify an inappropriate user following them.
In the Track section, users can manage anxiety stemming from social media usage; optimize specific social media platforms to sieve out the noise, and block suspicious users or followers on these platforms. The App blocks these users with scripts run on HakDefNet International's Proxy VPN. The new functionality also includes the ability to detect deep fakes (video and images).
About HakDefNet International
HakDefNet International is a cyber risk intelligence company founded in 2016 by Michael Goedeker. The company is one of the forerunners championing the fight against the security gaps in social networks with its groundbreaking solutions that guard against cyber-attacks, espionage, and cyberbullying. Besides this, they are actively empowering the new generation of cyber risk and cyber threat intelligence experts through their world-class HDN Cyber Risk Intelligence Academy.
Closing Remarks
It's essential for government leaders to create laws to manage the social media dilemma. The technology industry also needs to create more applications to help people recognize the security issue with social networks and equip them with tools to protect themselves online.
Media Contact
Business Name: HakDefNet International
Contact Person: Michael Goedeker
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hakdefnet.org
SOURCE: HakDefNet International