Facebook. Twitter. Linkedin. Instagram.Sound familiar? These days, logging into social media is as normal as pressing the snooze button on your alarm.
Without a second thought – many of us post online content
on a daily basis. However, displaying too much personal info can be risky.
Issues like cyberbullying, stalking, and your online
reputation (how an employer may perceive you) are all concerns to consider
before logging in.
Tips for safe & savvy networking:
Less is more. The more
info you post, the easier it might be for a hacker to steal your identity or
commit crimes like stalking.
Also known as “friend-of-friend” sites, social media
encourages you to provide email addresses and work history to connect you with
others via mutual friends and interests.
But before plugging in everything short of your SIN
number, remember you don’t have to share if you don’t want to.
Instead, err on the side of caution – like what you’d do if you were meeting
someone for the first time.
Privacy & security settings. These handy tools exist to help control who gets
to see what on your network. Learn about these functions before revealing too
much.
It’s a forever kind-of-thing. Think twice before posting photos or status updates
you don’t want your in-laws or potential employers seeing.
Once a post hits online, it stays online. If you’d like to update
without restraint, at least alter your privacy settings so you’re limiting
content to only those you’d like to show.
Own your online presence. Some of us use social
media to create large groups of “friends” for reasons like: fun, work,
family and interest. But that doesn’t mean all friends are equal. Use available
tools to help manage your groups effectively.
In particular, if you’re
trying to create a positive public persona, try using a Facebook “business
page” instead of a personal one. This limits private info but promotes your expertise.
Lock & Key. Don’t just create an easy-to-remember,
all-lowercased password. Capitals, numbers and symbols are your best friend.
Mix them up to generate a
secure and hard-to-hack password. It’s also good to use different passwords for
every account you’ve got. This helps discourage hackers.
Take action. If someone is bullying,
threatening or harassing you online, don’t be afraid to use the block feature
and report them to your site administer.
Recommended reads:
‘Facebook hackers stealing identities for cash’
-- http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/world/498528/facebook-hackers-stealing-identities-for-cash.html
'How to avoid being hacked: Strong passwords and other security tips' -- http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22682717/how-avoid-being-hacked-strong-passwords-and-other
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