How Can I Stay Safe On Social Sites?
For most of us on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites we aren’t too concerned about safety. Well harassment, pedophiles, stalking, and other crimes are now a priority social networkers should have. In the past I have been pretty open on my Facebook page, although there is a total difference between being open and being stupid. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself and your identity.
1. Keep Personal Info Secret
People don’t need to know your individual information. Never write down 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 real name. And don’t tweet where you are because that makes you easy to follow or even break into your house.
2. Be wary of Strangers
Although this might seem a little elementary, there’s nothing wrong with a reminder course. Some individuals that might seem like friends could in reality be spammers that just want to hijack your account. Or they might 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 odd, don’t take gifts from them or open their messages. Someone 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 sign that you shouldn’t click on the URL. It could be a malicious program that will mess up your computer.
4. Condensed URLs
Some 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 ability 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 see where the link is going, don’t go there.
5. Know your Secrecy Options
All of these social media tools allow you to alter your security settings to a particular point. Make sure that you review and regulate them to the maximum privacy setting they allow. However, don’t set the settings so great that the tools don’t work right. 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 don’t like or are anxious 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. Frequently examine and improve your browser privacy settings.
Social sites can be great. You can reconnect with old friends, develop existing relationships, and at the same time make new friends. Just be careful about what information you are putting up there, and take into account these 5 ways to keep yourself and your identity safe and sound.
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 degrees, online education, and the college experience.
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