Facebook to enable site-wide HTTPS and name-that-face social authentication

Tomorrow, as part of Data Privacy Day, Facebook will enable the option for site-wide HTTPS. Everything, from sending messages to stalking your friends' profiles will be encrypted, which should come as a great relief if you regularly use Facebook from public, unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. To enable it (tomorrow!), navigate to Account Settings and scroll down to Account security.

Facebook will also step up its policing of suspicious activity by using an exciting new form of CAPTCHA called "social authentication." If Facebook detects something odd with your account -- such as a login from two geographically disparate locations -- you will be asked to identify some of your friends. The idea is that hackers might have worked out your password, but they probably don't know what your friends look like. Unless you're being hacked by one of your friends, of course...

Looking forward, Facebook hopes to enable HTTPS by default, but no exact timeline is given. Incidentally, if you want to browse the entire Web while secured by HTTPS, check out our secure surfing guide.

Facebook to enable site-wide HTTPS and name-that-face social authentication originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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