Social media is one of today’s most popular activities, whether sharing photos and fun times with family and friends, or discussing opinions on current issues. There’s no doubt social media receives
the big “thumbs up” from a broad spectrum of Internet users.
But if we realized what information could be getting out into the wrong hands through the social network, most of us would quickly throw out a hot, red angry face! What’s really scary is how much of
that personal information is given out voluntarily because we don’t realize how to protect our social media accounts.
Prevent Overexposure
Most of the reputable social media applications have options for “privacy settings.” These settings allow you to restrict the type of information you reveal on your account and who can view the data on your profile as well as the words and images you post. It’s important to understand that the “default” settings when you start a social media account are not likely the settings you want for the best security. You can find step-by-step instructions for major social media apps with recommended privacy settings from the Center for Identity at the University of Texas: How to Manage your Social Media Privacy Settings.
Setting Boundaries
Children and teens can be especially vulnerable and it’s vital that parents pay close attention to the privacy settings on their accounts. Kids can unintentionally expose information that threatens not just
their identity, but that reveals their physical location and possibly open their home and family members to bad actors. Teen Safe is a parent-created resource for online child safety, and they have published directions for privacy settings recommended to keep young people safer online and provide parents with the ability to monitor their children’s social media activity. For more information, please visit www.teensafe.com.
Organizations that use social media to promote their business, reach out to their community, or send out announcements, also need to be sure their social media accounts aren’t a back door to data they don’t intend to distribute. Keenan can help you assess your cyber security risks and recommend a plan to reduce the potential for social media intrusion that may threaten your competitiveness, or expose private information to the wrong people.