Facebook adds 'app' passwords to site security

Oct 27, 2011
A man logs in to his Facebook account. Facebook is ramping up security by giving people the option of setting passwords for games or other third-party applications added to pages at the leading online social network.

Facebook is ramping up security by giving people the option of setting passwords for games or other third-party applications added to pages at the leading online social network.

Facebook said Thursday that "App Passwords," along with a forgotten password recovery feature called "Trusted ," will be added in the coming days to at the service used by about 800 million people worldwide.

"There are tons of applications you can use by logging in with your credentials," the California-based firm said in an online post.

"However, in some cases you may want to have a unique password for that application."

Users will be able to set passwords for applications by going to a security section in account settings.

The Trusted Friends feature will let Facebook members pick three to five people who will serve as touch points if main account passwords are forgotten.

"We'll send codes to the friends you have selected, then you can log back into your account using these codes after your friends have passed them along to you," Facebook said.

"It's sort of similar to giving a house key to your friends when you go on vacation -- pick the friends you most trust in case you need their help in the future."

Explore further: Twitter tightens security after high-profile breaches (Update)

add to favorites email to friend print save as pdf

Related Stories

Facebook tests real-time update feature

Jun 11, 2011

Facebook on Friday said it is dabbling with a Twitter-like feature that alerts members in real time to what their friends are up to on the social network.

Cyber-crooks targeting social-networking websites

Mar 03, 2009

Computer security specialists warn that Facebook users have been hit with a series of data-stealing attacks in the past week as cyber crooks increasingly stalk social-networking websites.

Facebook adds 'Send' button

Apr 26, 2011

Facebook on Monday began letting members of cozy cliques formed at the social networking service share website links or photo albums without all their friends knowing about it.

Facebook rolling out new security features

May 13, 2010

(AP) -- Facebook's millions of users are a lucrative target for Internet criminals looking to steal passwords and more. To combat malicious attacks, phishing scams and spam, the online social network is rolling out new security ...

Facebook lets friends share online memories

Oct 28, 2010

Facebook on Thursday launched Friendship Pages at which online pals can stroll virtual memory lanes that chronicle what they have shared at the world's top online social networking service.

Recommended for you

Facebook joins Web freedom group

22 hours ago

Facebook on Wednesday became a full member of the Global Network Initiative, a non-governmental organization promoting Internet freedom and privacy rights.

Big Data—for better or worse

May 22, 2013

A full 90% of all the data in the world has been generated over the last two years. The internet companies are awash with data that can be grouped and utilised. Is this a good thing?

Risky behaviour starts young on social media: survey

May 22, 2013

Australian children are accessing social media websites at an increasingly younger age, a new survey suggests, with one in five "tweens" admitting they have chatted to someone online they do not know.

User comments : 0

More news stories

Solar plane sets distance record on US tour

The first manned aircraft that can fly day and night powered only by solar energy set a new distance record Thursday when it landed after the second leg of a cross-country US tour.

Engineers pioneer flat spray-on optical lens

A University of British Columbia engineer and a team of U.S. researchers have made a breakthrough utilizing spray-on technology that could revolutionize the way optical lenses are made and used.

Researchers suggest boosting body's natural flu killers

A known difficulty in fighting influenza (flu) is the ability of the flu viruses to mutate and thus evade various medications that were previously found to be effective. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have ...

Russia evacuates drifting Arctic research station

Russia has ordered the urgent evacuation of the 16-strong crew of a drifting Arctic research station after ice floe that hosts the floating laboratory began to disintegrate, officials said Thursday.