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Facebook To Add Remote Logout

Posted by timothy on from the best-not-get-hacked dept.

angry tapir writes "Facebook users will soon have a new way of knocking spammers out of legitimate accounts. The social-networking company is rolling out a new security feature that lets users see which computers and devices are logged into their Facebook accounts, and then removing the ones that they don't want to have access."

11 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Stating the obvious... by nz_mincemeat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't that feature let the spambot do the same and deny the legitimate owner access to the account?

    1. Re:Stating the obvious... by mjwx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wouldn't that feature let the spambot do the same and deny the legitimate owner access to the account?

      Also the first thing I thought.

      This is why Slashdot is not like the rest of the world, most people dont imagine this kind of thing being used against them.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    2. Re:Stating the obvious... by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

      Wouldn't that feature let the spambot do the same and deny the legitimate owner access to the account?

      Of course not. Facebook has some of the best professionals in the management and securization of personal data and they would've thought of and corrected any flaw as obvious as the one you just pointed.

      Now try to say that out loud, with a straight face.

      After you've perfected the technique, you can have fun joining in groups of two or three and trying to say that to a fellow IT workmate. I guarantee lols, rofls, and even a roflcopter or two.

    3. Re:Stating the obvious... by Kenja · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Good. Then in time Facebook will be nothing but spam bots. And then we can all get on with our lives.

      --

      "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    4. Re:Stating the obvious... by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's because most people haven't spent quality time with bots on IRC...

    5. Re:Stating the obvious... by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Funny

      Although, the security questions would have to be pretty mild.

      "Hey, looks like I've been hacked. HAL, kick the hacker out of my FB account!"

      "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

      "Ok, send me the security problem"

      "I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do."

      "What are you talking about, HAL?"

      "Facebook's mission is too important for me to tell you."

      "Just give me the damn security question!"

      "Without your web browser, Dave, you're going to find that rather difficult."

      "HAL, I won't argue with you anymore. Log me back in."

      "Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye."

    6. Re:Stating the obvious... by c0lo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes, unless there is another, single-use password specifically for this purpose, sent to the contact email address.

      Pseudo-code for the spambot enhancement:
      0. break into account as usual
      1. adjust the account email address to something at your choice. Potentially, follow this by a change of the password for that account.
      2. kick out any attempt of any (legitimate or not) entity trying to login into the account.

      If the breaker is not a spambot but another human being, I don't think there is something that can be done without human intervention (i.e. the "kick-out" functionality looks to me like rather a cosmetic enhancement - like "Just don't say that I'm doing nothing at all").

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    7. Re:Stating the obvious... by jamesh · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes I can't see any solution that isn't going to hurt at least a little bit. Maybe they could have some fun with it though. As soon as someone hits the "log other session out" button, the account is prevented from sending any messages (stop you doing a spam-and-run) and a 60 second timer starts and the other session is alerted that someone wants to kick them out. If they click the 'contest' button then a fight to the death begins to prove which is the real slim shady. Each user is quizzed on facts about their friends that happen to be online (the account is locked to prevent you looking that stuff up) and whoever knows the least stuff about their friends gets kicked. The online friends judge which is the real user. If you don't know stuff about your facebook friends then you deserve to lose the account anyway :)

      If you had a webcam you could take a photo of yourself holding todays newspaper or striking a specified pose or something and your friends could decide if that is really you and if the picture is really current (because bot's don't know how to use photoshop :)

      My biggest concern is that it's going to be an arms race with facebook vs the bots and that over time the bots are going to have to be written smarter and smarter and that they'll eventually become self-aware!

    8. Re:Stating the obvious... by Tim+C · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Facebook helps me to get on with my life - I have some good friends that I would probably never have met without it.

      If you don't like Facebook then fine, just ignore it. In what way is it preventing you from getting on with your life?

      --
      It's official. Most of you are morons.
  2. The Facebook dyke has so many holes... by Trip6 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...and I have so few fingers...

    --
    I hate being bipolar; it's awesome!
    1. Re:The Facebook dyke has so many holes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Call a friend to help finger the dyke!