Social Media Security Part 1
Social networking has changed the way we interact with friends and associates. While social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, FourSquare, and Google+, play a significant role in our lives, they are also a high risk for security threats.
With hundreds of millions of users online, these tools not only attract friends and family wanting to stay in touch, but they also attract people wanting to know about you for the wrong reasons.
Be aware of the top five security threats currently out there to help you stay safe online.
4 Major Social Media Guides :
1. Protect your Identity
- Have a strong password - Be careful with your status update - Don’t reveal your location.
2. Protect Your Profile:
- Be careful of Shortened URLs, such as those created on bit.ly, are especially susceptible to hackers.
- Try a link scanner. A link scanner is a website that lets you enter the URL of a link you suspect might be suspicious to check for safety.
Try URLVoid or MyWOT as possible options.
- Check shortened links. A shortened link is popular on sites like Twitter where character length matters. Some shortened link sites include bit.ly, Ow.ly, and TinyURL. Use a service like Sucuri to determine if the real link is secure.
3. Never Be Tracked
When you use social networking sites, you are posting personal information. Once information is posted online, it’s no longer private and can fall into the wrong hands.
The more you post, the more vulnerable you become to those who may wish to harm you.
Even with the highest security settings, friends, associates, and even the brands you “like” on your networking sites, can inadvertently leak information about you.
The websites you subscribe to, the apps you download, and the games you play on social networking sites all contain personal information about you.
Every time you browse a website, companies can put invisible markers on your computer called cookies. In theory, no two cookies are alike. When you are online, these cookies track your activity as you move from site to site.
4. Keep All the details
To keep yourself and your information safe, pay careful attention to your online activity.
Avoid posting information including:
Travel plans Bank account information Your full address and birthdate Your children’s’ names, school, and birthdates Location information, such as the name of your work place Your daily schedule