Facebook claims that its new one-time password feature will make it safer to use Facebook on computers in public places such as hotels, cafes or airports. The service will allow users to request to receive a temporary password by SMS message which expires after 20 minutes.

 

Brett Myroff, CEO of regional Sophos distributor, Sophos South Africa, says that the one-time password feature could, however, result in further security concerns for users.

 

"A temporary password may stop keylogging spyware that gives cyber criminals a permanent backdoor into your account, but it doesn't stop malware from spying on your activities online," he says. 

 

"Furthermore, if someone else can gain access to your phone and send a text message, your Facebook account will be unlocked."

 

Myroff adds that a simple lesson that everyone needs to learn is to never visit websites such as Facebook from computers that may not be running adequate anti-virus software or security patches. 

 

“If you don't trust the PC, don't use it to access Facebook, even if you do have a temporary password. Instead, wait until you have access to a trusted PC, rather than risking sharing your personal information with unknown others. There's a real danger that the one-time-password system will be viewed as a green light by Facebook users to access their accounts from unsafe PCs."