Staying safe on social networking sites
Social networking sites have exploded onto the Internet scene over the last few years, growing rapidly in popularity. It stands to reason that wherever people exchange information, identity thieves and fraudsters are not far behind. To protect your identity information and your computer, you need to know what the dangers are, and how to avoid them.
What are Social Networking Sites?
Facebook and MySpace are good examples of popular social networking sites. These sites connect you to new people through people you already know. While the purpose of some sites is primarily social, others focus on establishing business connections.
What Security Risks do These Sites Present?
While most people using these sites do not present a threat, malicious individuals are naturally drawn to them due to the vast amount of personal information posted there. Once these individuals gather information about your location, hobbies, interests and friends, it’s easy for them to impersonate someone you know and convince you to reveal sensitive personal or financial information.
In some cases, predators have even hacked into user accounts on social networking sites and sent messages to friends asking for money or personal information. Naturally, the recipient thinks the message is from a trusted source and easily falls prey to this kind of attack.
And attacker can also use social networking sites to distribute malicious code in the form of applications that appear harmless or you may not even be aware of, but infect your computer.
Protection Tips
Here are some simple things you can do to protect your friends, family and yourself against the risks presented by social networking sites.
Use Privacy Settings – Almost all of these
sites have privacy settings that allow you to restrict who can see
your information. Use them! Do not allow anyone other than people
you know to view your profile, photos, address, contact information
or anything else that can be used against you.
Don’t Talk to Strangers – It may seem like a no-brainer, but the Internet offers a feeling of anonymity and false security. Apply the same rules your parents taught you when you were growing up. Only interact with people you already know in the real world!
Check Privacy Policies – Every site has different policies. Some may share your email address or profile information with other companies. Others may have rights to the images you post. Educate yourself and ensure that you are okay with the policies and practices of the sites you use.
Limit What You Post – Don’t post information that
can make you vulnerable to phishing or real world attacks such as
your address or information about your schedule or routine. Ensure
that you know what your connections are posting about you and that
you are comfortable with this information. And in turn, be considerate
when posting information about them.
Use
Shop Shield – Shop Shield can create an anonymous
email address along with a random username and strong password for
any site. Use this information when creating a user account at any
social networking site. This added layer of protection helps prevent
unauthorized access to your account and keeps your email address
private. And it’s free.
Keep Tabs on Your Kids – Children are especially
vulnerable to the threats social networking sites present. Many of
their friends may be members of multiple sites, and kids just love
to interact with each other online. Naturally predators are a threat,
but don’t
overlook bullying or harassment by classmates. Teach your children
how to become safe and responsible Internet users, and how to block
messages from people they don’t know or don’t
want to be contacted by.
