Social media is ideal for staying in touch with loved ones and random people you had a class with in high school, but there are also hackers, stalkers, and identity thieves out there to ruin the fun. Most interactions on social media are totally harmless, but these are a few things you can do to reduce your online risks.
- Privatize your social life- The first move is to change your profiles to private. That’s the easiest way to make sure that anyone who sees your posts is a friend or follower. Take the time to go through your social media apps to review their privacy permission options so you’re confident they’re set-up the way you want them.
- Share your private information intentionally- The more basic personal information you share, the easier it is for would-be identity thieves or hackers to use. Posting your birthday or where you live and work seems like no big deal, but less information shared means more security.
- Avoid posting your location- It may be fun to brag when you’re at the hottest new restaurant in town, telling everyone your exact location at that exact moment has its downsides. Posting your vacation location lets people know you’re out of town and your house is sitting empty, ready to be robbed.
- Do a business account checkup- If you’re running a business account, you’ll want to keep it public, but you should still be on the lookout for strange messages, repeated friend requests from duplicate accounts and anything that just feels off. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Treat your online life like your offline life- Safety first, on social media and in real life. Live your life and share it with others if you want, but be aware of what you put out there and know there are risks involved. If you wouldn’t strike up a conversation with a shady stranger in a parking lot, don’t do it on social media messaging either.
Source:Real Simple