Six Degrees of Separation Theory

Have you ever heard about Six Degrees of Separation theory? This theory states that you’re at most six degrees away from anyone on the planet Earth, all these people. In the modern world with all these social network platforms, this means that you’re just six or fewer social connections away from anyone. So, imagine some famous person, say Linus Torvalds. By this theory it means you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows Linus Torvalds. Crazy right?

This theory has real-word implications, especially in cybersecurity. Take social engineering attacks as an example, hackers may not be able to directly reach their target, but they can exploit connections by targeting someone who know someone who in turn knows someone that can eventually provide access to high-value target. Phishing attacks also often work this way.

Another example is privacy risks on social media. Since everyone is connected, even indirect connections can expose personal information. Even if you keep your LinkedIn, Facebook, or other profiles private, your connections may have public profiles that reveal details about you.