There’s a reason why Facebook is celebrating it's 10th birthday today!
Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch with friends and family, for telling people what you’re up to, and for finding out what’s happening in your part of the world. Though this does come with risks. Each time you post, “like”, share a photo or check-in somewhere, you’re providing a little more information about yourself. You’re discarding a little more of your privacy… and arguably, you’re leaving yourself at risk of identity theft.
To help you on your way, here are our top 5 tips to help you enjoy your social networking while maintaining your privacy and avoiding some security pitfalls.
- Set up two-factor authentication where it’s available. Two-factor authentication involves adding a secondary action that is required when logging in to your account. For example, that may mean you receive a 6-digit code on your smartphone whenever you log in from a new device. This way, even if someone discovers (or guesses) your password, they’ll also need your phone to gain access to your account.
- Review your Privacy Settings. Facebook (and other social networks) may alter their default settings with little or no notice to users. It’s good practice to regularly check your privacy settings. See what your Facebook profile looks like to the general public; is your profile appearing in search results on the web? Are strangers able to view photos you’re tagged in, or locations where you’ve checked-in, without your knowledge?
- Only share what you want to share. With a multitude of social apps now available, and often with the ability to link to each other, it’s quite possible that something you post on one platform will appear on another. Are your tweets appearing in your Facebook page? Are both accounts set to “private”?
- Beware of scams. Phishing attempts that claim your account has been suspended, or other scams used by cybercriminals to entice the socially active among us to share our personal information. Fake messages that might cause concern or create hysteria by alleging that your profile has been hacked – check the Facebook Myths page to check anything you find suspicious.
- Don’t be tempted by fake apps, videos and photos. In what is known as Like-baiting, attackers post content across social sites that appear to be credible – they may be encouraging users to click, like or share a page in order to view sensational content. They’ve also been known to present users with what appears to be a video. When the user clicks what they think is the ‘play’ button, they’re actually clicking an invisible frame that causes a new status update to be posted to the user’s own profile. Through this, the attacker can then reach their entire network of friends almost instantly.
Of course, Facebook and their contemporaries work hard to ensure their customers are secure. With dedicated pages and groups focused on educating their users, as well as support centers that allow users to learn more and investigate their security options. Facebook and other providers are increasing their communications around potential dangers, and working hard to make sure users know to be wary of emails that claim to be genuine. However, that doesn’t mean we should ignore the most basic precautions when we’re living our lives online.
Want to stay current on the latest tips to protect your social networking privacy and security?