Social media is a part of everyday life for most people and is a useful tool for keeping in touch with family and friends.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are among the most popular choices, allowing users to document and share important moments. However, as with any technology, it’s important to remember that there is a right and wrong way to use these tools, and there are precautions you should be taking to protect yourself and your personal information.
WSMV spoke to Kraft Technology Group’s own Don Baham about the potential risks associated with social media use, and the measures you can take to keep yourself safe online when sharing photos. Don shared a few tips for maintaining privacy, such as setting your Facebook profile and other social media accounts to private in order to regulate who can see your photos. Users who don’t have your permission won’t be able to view your posts, allowing you to share photos with only the people you want to share them with.
A number of apps ask you to check-in or tag a location when you upload a new photo. Don recommends not using this particular feature, as advertising where you are at any given moment can indicate to a would-be burglar that there is no one at your home. If this is information you want to share, be sure that your privacy settings are keeping that information within a set group of people.
Many apps or sites will also ask for a lot of personal details when you sign up for an account with them. Wherever there is the option to do so, avoid giving anything more than the bare minimum amount of information. A closer look at the service agreement will often show that there is an intent to share your information with third parties or for advertising purposes. This practice can also open you up to the potential of becoming a victim of cybercrime. Where demographic information is required, Don suggests providing a false name and date of birth in instances where that type of information won’t interfere with how you use the app in question.
Protecting your identity and personal details online is essential, especially if you’re someone who uses social media frequently. You should feel free to use these apps and sites to share your life with the people in it, but the world at large doesn’t need to be able to keep tabs on you – especially without you knowing about it.
Part of protecting your identity is protecting your accounts themselves. Most sites and apps now offer Two-Factor Authentication, which will require a one-time-use code sent to your mobile device to be input along with your password when you log into an account from another device. It’s a simple way to ensure that the person accessing your social media account is you and not a hacker.
You can check out Don’s interview right here on the WSMV website.
Want to learn more about the steps you can take to protect yourself online? Contact Kraft Technology Group today at info@kraftgrp.com or (615) 600-4411. We’re the IT security experts businesses in Nashville trust.
