Social Media Safety Tips

By Lindsay Fipps |  ​Published January 3, 2024

Social media is a great way to interact with your friends and family on a daily basis. However, it’s an easy place to accumulate personal details needed to guess passwords, answers to security questions, and more. Here are a few social media safety tips to add an extra layer of security to your account:

Sharing Personal Information

When you look at your social media profile, ask yourself “What does my profile say about me?” Whether you’re customizing your bio or sharing a photo—be cautious of the information you’re sharing with the public.

 

Profile Details

One of the first steps to creating a social media account is customizing your “Intro” information. This allows you to share your hometown, hobbies, schools you’ve attended, relationship status, and more. These details can provide context to passwords and security questions.

For example, sharing what high school you went to might seem safe. However, a simple Google search can reveal what your mascot was and share the answer to a common security question.

 

Trends

Survey Trends
Before you participate in another “Fill in the blank” survey trend on Facebook, think about the personal details you’re sharing. If it reveals information pertaining to your passwords or security questions, don’t post it.

Many platforms use security questions as a secondary method to verify your identity. Common security questions ask your first pet’s name, mother’s maiden name, or high school mascot, to name a few.

Check out this post by a police department in Connecticut who were sharing social media safety tips. Do you see how similar the questions are to the security questions?

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/personality-tests-quizzes-personal-info-police-warning-facebook/

 

Back-to-school Photo Trend

In recent years, parents have become more creative with their children’s back-to-school pictures on social media. One example includes the children holding a sign with details about their upcoming year. This is a unique way to document the child’s school years. However, these posts can put their personal information at risk. The signs in these images often include the child’s full name, teacher’s name, age, school, and grade. See how the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office modifies these signs in the picture below.

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Source: https://www.news10.com/news/local-news/safety-experts-warn-of-back-to-school-photo-trend/

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