How Can I Stay Safe On Social Sites?
For most of us on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites we aren’t too worried about safety. Well harassment, pedophiles, stalking, and other crimes are now a concern social networkers should have. Some time ago I have been pretty open on my Facebook page, although there is a complete difference between being open and being unwise. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself and your identity.
1. Keep Private Info Secret
People don’t need to know your individual information. Never put your social security number, address, and phone number out there. Only give it to people you know in person. Also, be discriminatory about the people you add. You never know who may turn out to be a hacker, stalker, or someone trying to take your identity. Also consider using a user name that isn’t your actual name. And don’t tweet where you are because that makes you easy to follow or even break into your house.
2. Be cautious of Strangers
Although this might seem a little elementary, there’s nothing wrong with a review course. Some individuals that might seem like friends could in fact be spammers that just want to hijack your account. Or they may just want to get traffic to their links. If you don’t know them, and your friends don’t know who they are, don’t add them.
3. Bizarre Behavior
If friends on social sites seem to be acting weird, don’t take gifts from them or open their messages. may have hacked into their system so who you thought was a friend really isn’t. So, if you have a friend pushing “muenster cheese is the best” but you know they’re a vegan. Then it’s probably a signal that you shouldn’t click on the URL. It could be a nasty program that will mess up your computer software.
4. Shortened URLs
A number of URLs for web site addresses are really long and consequently by using tools like bit.ly you can have a link with a shortened URL. While these may be useful, they can also allow scammers and spammers the power to hide where you are actually going. If it’s possible make sure to preview the URL before you go onto it. An easy rule is that if you can’t observe where the link is going, don’t go there.
5. Know your Secrecy Options
All of these social media tools allow you to modify your security settings to a particular point. Make sure that you assess and regulate them to the maximum privacy setting they allow. However, don’t set the settings so great that the tools don’t work correctly. Many of these settings are not the default so make sure that you modify them so some random guest can’t find your data through the search engine. If you dislike or are concerned about some of the privacy settings on the site, then don’t use it. Look for a new site that meets your privacy protection standards. Regularly examine and upgrade your browser privacy settings.
Social sites can be great. You can reconnect with old friends, develop existing relationships, and also make new friends. Just be alert about what information you are putting up there, and take into account these 5 ways to keep yourself and your identity safe.
About the author:
Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college classes, online education, and the college experience.