Sophos has shown that as many as 41% of Facebook users are willing to divulge personal information to a stranger, following an ID probe experiment it conducted.
According to the site, 200 000 users form part of the South African network.
Brett Myroff, MD of master Sophos distributor Netxactics, believes South Africans could be more at risk than countries such as the US where ID theft is more prevalent in the media and user awareness is more pronounced.
"Although South Africans are relatively weary about giving info out on the Web, there could be a higher risk in SA due to a lack of understanding and education with regards to identity theft and the relatively low publicity in this regard."
Further ID probe results reveal the following:
* Eighty-seven of the 200 Facebook users contacted responded to Freddi, the Sophos test character, with 82 leaking personal information (41% of those approached).
* Seventy-two percent of respondents divulged one or more e-mail addresses.
* Eighty-four percent of respondents listed their full date of birth.
* Eighty-seven percent of respondents provided details about their education or workplace.
* Seventy-eight percent of respondents listed their current address or location.
* Twenty-three percent of respondents listed their current phone number.
* Twenty-six percent of respondents provided their instant messaging screen name.
Myroff's advice is: "Do not reveal your true identity or provide your personal details on any social Web site. Keeping an element of anonymity is very wise."
Sophos has released a user guide for behaving securely on Facebook.
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