We’ve all heard the saying “think before you speak,” but what about “think before you post?”
Social media is a great way to keep in contact with friends, relatives, and coworkers. However, the internet is a public place and there might be someone lurking on your profile that is not so friendly. In fact, there are over 4 billion social media accounts on the internet in 2023. Out of those numbers there are identity thieves, online predators, and bots pretending to be someone else to try and get your information. This where “think before you post” can come in handy.
Really stop and think the next time you start writing a status, are you comfortable with everyone that is a follower, mutual or not, knowing your personal information? Revealing things like pet names, hometowns, maiden names, or even your favorite color can bring a hacker one step closer to achieving their goal, accessing your account.
Here are some tips to help secure your profile this year:
- Remember to always check the privacy options on the platforms you are on. Keep an eye on the privacy agreements for each one and understand how they will treat your intellectual property. If the platform has recently updated any policies take a quick look and read over the changes.
- Don’t forget to update those privacy settings. You can find them easily on the website and turn off things like location sharing, showing your birthday and your hometown. You can even turn off tagging, so no one can tag you in any compromising photos or posts.
- Think about what you are posting. The National Cybersecurity Alliance describes social media posts as ghosts that can come back to haunt you. The internet is forever, which means that all the information you put out there is going to stick around for a very long time. Always think through about what you are sharing before you click post.
If you have posted private information in a public place never fear, you can always secure your accounts with strong password and by utilizing a multifactor authorization tool like Duo. For an extra layer of protection, try out a password manager like Keeper. This way all your passwords are saved securely and stored in a place that only you can access.
Don’t forget to Be Like Blaze, and follow these social media safety tips.