The Risks
Disclosure of private information either by you or by anybody else can lead to devastating consequences.
The most common ones are hacking and
hijacking of your account. If someone hacks into an account he or she will be able to view and use the information very easily. This could lead to the biggest threat of over sharing private information -
identity theft.
It would be too easy for an online computer criminal to use the information to fill out a loan application, guess a password security question or social engineer their way into your company's network. Sharing simple things like your favourite colour can tip off a hacker to try to see if you used that as a password on your account. Online computer criminals look to steal identities in obvious and not so obvious ways. An obvious way would be someone asking for your social security number. A not so obvious way is luring a user to click on a link that will allow the criminal to download all of the user's personal information..
Nowadays, it more and more common for some websites to ask for ID, for example most professional modelling websites request models provide their IDs. This allows the site to verify a users full name, date of birth and nationality. Do not panic, if asked to provide ID. Often it is being requested for security and/or legal reasons, for example in the case of child protection. If you get asked for ID, check why they are asking for it! If it fits with the website, then make a judgement call.
Photo tampering is a big threat when it comes to posting photos online. Remember that inappropriate images that may be seen as fun or sexy might end up where one least expects it. The use of photo editing tools allows people to manipulate online images in any way they want, whether it's used for good or bad purposes. While posting pictures and sharing them with friends can be fun, it can also be risky, so always think what kind of photos you post online.
Social networking sites make it very easy to pretend to be someone else. Even if an individual may be friends with someone on the site, anyone can take control of a user's account if he or she can obtain the user's password. As a result, someone who is a
"Friend" can ask for money or gain personal information that can be used to hack into other accounts. For example, you may get a message from a relative asking you for your banking information because he or she would like to wire you some money for your birthday. You may think you're talking to your relative, but in fact the information is being requested by someone who has hacked into your relative's account..
Location
based services can be one of the most dangerous features provided by social
networking sites. It exposes the profile user's location and whereabouts. The
service also has a feature that allows users to tag who they are with at any
given time. While it can be fun to share your location with friends and family,
it can also increase your vulnerability, potentially opening you up to being
robbed, sexually assaulted, or worse. Predators can use this tool to track your
movements and determine when you are alone or when you are not at home.
Because of the popularity of social networking sites, attackers often use them to distribute malicious code. Online predators are able to create customized applications that appear to be innocent while infecting your computer or sharing your information without your knowledge.
Viruses
or spyware can be contained within message attachments or photographs. They also can be spread via fake emails from
social networking sites or people's and companies' posts that encourage you to visit fraudulent or inappropriate websites.
Sometimes people use social networking sites to abuse or harass other people. Both Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking might cause psychological, emotional and physical stress and can lead to depression and other mental health issues.
Unfortunately, social networking sites are often used by internet predators to groom kids, teenagers and adults. They build an emotional connection with people to gain their trust for the purposes of
sexual abuse or
exploitation. Online grooming can force people into doing something they shouldn't do, e.g. participating in sexual acts or joining an ideological movement. This can cause psychological, emotional, physical and social distress and might lead to other mental health issues.
Posting offensive or inappropriate content might lead to prosecution or recrimination and in some cases can take you to jail.
Nowadays micro blogging tools like:- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social networking sites make it easy to let details slip you wouldn't otherwise tell friends or strangers.
Don't put any away messages on your telephone number, just as you wouldn't put a note on your front door stating:-
"Away for the weekend
Returning on Monday."
Do not post anything that might later cause you or someone else embarrassment. Remember that many companies routinely view current or prospective employees' social networking pages, so be careful about what you say, what pictures you post and your profile.
» Evaluate your settings
Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies. If you don't want them to share your personal data, make sure that you tick the appropriate boxes in the settings.
Keep in mind that sites may change their options periodically, so review your security and privacy settings regularly to make sure that your choices are still appropriate.
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Be wary of 3rd party applications
Avoid applications that seem suspicious, and modify your settings to limit the amount of information the applications can access.
Be careful about clicking on links in an email or social networking post.
Use strong passwords.
Use a mix of letters and numbers.
Never share or reveal your passwords.
Change your passwords regularly and do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts.
Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date.
Connecting to public WiFi networks implies that you're sharing a network with tons of other people, which means your data is at risk. It's remarkably easy to steal someone's username and password, or see what they're doing just by being on the same network.
Turn Off Sharing.
Enable Your Firewall.
Use HTTPS and SSL Whenever Possible.
Turn Wi-Fi Off When You Aren't Using It.
Note that if the sensitive browsing can wait; especially if it's something very sensitive like banking or credit card information; you should just wait to do that sensitive browsing at home.
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Report inappropriate behaviour
Remember that you have the right to block anyone who bullies you and report them to the social network so they can take down anything offensive.
Don't reply to any nasty messages you receive.
Keep the messages that you have been sent so you can show someone.
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Never post offensive or inappropriate content
Even if you're angry, do not post any comments that are abusive or may cause offence to either individuals or groups of society. You never know how it will affect someone and it won't be possible to take your words back.