Posts that make social media fun are a potential source of risk

Oversharing is a growing problem. It can disturb those close to the person posting. It can lead to identity theft and allow cybercriminals to obtain your password. It can expose your personal information and belongings to the risk of theft.

Even if users consider themselves quite knowledgeable about privacy, platform owners can frequently update their websites and applications. Posts that make social media fun are also a potential source of risk.

Stay away from potential problems by being careful while using social media platforms.

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KEEP TO YOURSELF

Personally identifiable information. Scammers are always looking for small pieces of information that they can piece together to create an identity for fraud. They can use this information to apply for credit in your name or open online accounts.

They can use it to crack your passwords or memorable questions to take complete control of your account. Even something harmless like your pet's name or your date of birth should be kept private.

Travel plans: Posting a photo or update stating that you are excited about an upcoming vacation might sound quite harmless. However, this could mean to someone monitoring your account that your property will be left unattended during that time. It is much better to post vacation photos after you have returned home.

Location data: The point where cybercrimes and physical crimes overlap is often social media. If a criminal knows that an individual will be home alone, walking in a remote area, or that their property will be empty, you can guess what might happen next. Keep your location data as private as possible. Some social media platforms may automatically tag the location of posts. Sharing family events or the locations of your friends can inadvertently reveal where you or they live, work, or spend time.

Expensive purchases: If someone is monitoring your account with dark intentions, this could mark you as a potential target for extortion or theft. Try to be cautious about sharing information about new purchases or gifts.

Children's photos: Some parents love to share photos of their children. But are your children old enough to give consent? They may not like having their baby photos plastered all over the internet. There may also be malicious individuals looking for children's photos on the internet. If you are considering posting images of someone else's children, always get their approval first.

Work-related complaints: It is important to be discreet about controversial situations at work. If you want to vent, do it offline with a colleague. If HR or a disgruntled coworker notices that you are complaining about your workplace, colleagues, and/or boss, you could get into trouble.

Financial details: Keep your financial information private. Do not share your credit or debit card information. Even if the image appears very blurry or too far away to see, it may be enough to give scammers a chance to capture this image and combine it with other personal information in your account to commit identity theft.

Personal information of family and friends: Information shared on social media is often permanent, and everyone may be uncomfortable with their personal information or details of their lives being shared online. You also do not want to risk your friends and family being scammed online. Therefore, keep their personal information under lock and key just like your own.

Social media giveaways: Social media sites are overflowing with prize draws and free giveaways. These are often poorly disguised attempts to capture users' personal information or even spread hidden and malicious software. Think twice before filling out any online form and sharing giveaway links.

Private conversations: Even if your account is relatively locked down, social media is by nature a public forum. Therefore, it is not a place to share privileged information. If the subject is related to your workplace, it is even more important that you do not share it.

SOME TIPS TO STAY SAFE

Pay attention to what you share when posting: Always consider whether you would feel comfortable telling the same information you are posting online to someone sitting right next to you.

Review your friend list frequently: It would be a useful habit to remove people you do not know or whom you do not want to see your posts from your list.

Restrict who can view your friend list and posts: This will help reduce the likelihood of someone using any information you share for malicious purposes.

Restrict photo access: These should ideally be viewable only by known friends and approved family members.

Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) and use strong, unique passwords: This will reduce the likelihood of someone taking over your account even if they manage to guess or crack your passwords.

News Source: 12punto