Online Safety – Private is exactly that, Private!
Private is exactly that, Private!
In the world outside of social media, the real world, we automatically limit the information we give out in conversation by how well we know the recipient.
We treat our personal Information on a need to know basis, does the world really need to know what time I go to the gym, when I’m going on holidays with my family? Of course not, so I don’t divulge such Information.
We have all heard the stories of people posting on social media sites that they are off on holidays for a couple of weeks, even checking in at the airport when they arrive, just to let the world know they are away in a foreign country, then scratch their heads in dismay on their return to find their home has been burgled!
We like to use what we call “The public park bench concept”. Would you leave a poster on a public park bench stating you’re away foreign for 2 weeks and your home is empty? Not on your life, so why post such Information on social media?
Would you leave photos of your children in the bath on a public park bench and walk away? Remember, everything you post on the Internet becomes public possession so be very cautious about how much personal information you provide on social media sites.
Never share private information like your primary email, phone number or address, and Do Not post information about your travels. As mentioned previously, always treat your Information on a need to know basis, does the world really need to know that I will be away on holidays for the next couple of weeks and my neighbour will be minding my dog! Sounds silly yes? But believe me, there are people that post that kind of stuff on social media. Do you really want everyone to know how many children you have, what their names are, who their friends are and what schools they attend?
Have you ever used the “Forgot your password” link to login to your social media account or online banking etc.? To reset the password you need to know certain private information, a security question. Hackers use this link too “. Are you guilty of giving that information out on social media? As we stress in our Free digital booklet, Identity thieves and hackers will
create fake profiles and befriend you in order to solicit sensitive Information from you. Information such as your mother’s or wife’s maiden name, your pet dogs name, your first child’s name or city where you were born.
Keep this information private! Think before you post!
Status updates, photos, and comments can reveal more about you than you intended to disclose. Remember, need to know basis.
This is a snippet from our FREE digital booklet- A beginners guide to Online and Digital Security.
To receive your free copy, simply mail us at [email protected]
Stay Safe!