Note: Please read this post to learn what this challenge is about, but there is an update at the bottom.
When Paul Lewis interviewed me about Facebook last week, I said Facebook has lots of promise as a way for businesses to collaborate with key stakeholders without giving non-employees access behind the corporate firewall.Paul asked a common question about whether that would potentially put sensitive information at risk. I said I probably wouldn’t put my bank account and Social Security numbers out in a Facebook group (and certainly no information that would lead to civil legal liability or criminal penalties if disclosed), but that for ordinary business interactions I think the security is strong enough.
So I’m putting my money where my mouth is.
I’ve created a secret group in Facebook, and named it $100 Facebook Hacker Challenge. Here are some screen shots from when I set up the group:
I’m offering $100 to the first person who can find this group and discover what it says in the “Recent News” section.
But wait, let’s make it really easy. Not only am I telling you the name of the group. I’m also giving you its URL:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29804935857
And if you can upload a picture to the $100 Facebook Hacker Challenge group, I’ll double your payout, to $200.
Post your answer in the comments below.Meanwhile, if you want to join a group that isn’t secret, and that can help you learn about Facebook and other social media and how they can be practically used in your professional life, enroll in Social Media University, Global (SMUG).
Update: See the latest on the Facebook Hacker Challenge, including your chance to participate in SMUG’s quest for knowledge, here.
Update: No one was successful in meeting the challenge in the first five days. I have now closed this challenge, for reasons that I explain here.
10 Comments
Makes me wish I was a coder.
Make it $1000 and you have a deal
If you are indeed interested; I’ll send you a contract, binding you from actually releasing the methodologies I use.
I certainly am interested. I’m completely serious in wanting to know whether a secret Facebook group can easily be hacked, or not. If you can achieve the hack, you don’t have to tell me how you did it. As for raising the jackpot, maybe I’ll consider taking a collection from others who want to add to it, in hopes of making a hack worthwhile.
But if it’s really that easy to hack a secret group, I’d suggest that you go for it now. The payout is for the FIRST successful hacker.
$1000 then, yes?
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. The challenge is for one hundred dollars ($100). If no one can do it or is willing to do it for $100, I may take contributions for others in hopes of raising the ante. But $100 (or $200 including the upload of a photo) is the limit of my personal resources.
So, the first one who accomplishes the hack gets the money. If it’s not worth it for you to do it for $100, maybe the prize will go up if I ask others to contribute.
But then again, maybe someone else will think the $100 is enough. So watch this space, and if the prize offering ever seems like it’s worth your while, have at it.
Well this is funny because I was dutifully doing one of your assignments and set up a secret Facebook account for my business and then couldn’t (can’t!) get back to it. I still ahven’t figured out how to find it. I had sent links to my colleagues and I tried using them and no deal. ONe of my colleagues tried to respond and she can’t log-in. So – while I’m offering $100 – would love someone to hack in for me
So, does anyone know how to find your own and why if you start one there’s no access from your Facebook account?
Now THAT’s security, if you can’t even find your own group!
Here’s how you get there.
In Facebook, click your Groups link in the left nav (right under the search box), and likely it will show up under “Your Recently Updated Groups” on the right side of the page. If that doesn’t work, click the “My Groups” link at the top left of that page, and you’ll see a list of all your groups.
Let me know how it works.
you sure that link you gave is the group? if its a fake link also you would be redirected to home.php so just asking
Yup…it’s the group. Just visited it again.
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