Personal Security on Social Media

Brittany Harris

According to Smart Insights, there are about 3.484 billion social media users around the globe equating to roughly 45% of the entire population. As technology continues to advance, it is extremely important to stay on top of keeping your personal information secure. Think about how many hours you spend per day on social media scrolling, posting, and communicating. Have you ever clicked on various links? Ads? What about downloading an app embedded in a social network? Cyber criminals earn nearly 3.25 billion dollars from hacking social media accounts. Hackers deliver malware to users through infected ads (most common), add-ons, and plug-ins. They know how to create reliable looking article links and postings that when clicked can leak personal data from your profile. They can create fake profiles of your own family and friends to ask for secure information such has financial details or private addresses. Next time you are enticed to click on an ad, take a moment to think about the potential consequences.

“The lines between legitimate social media platforms and their equivalents on the Dark Web are becoming blurred, with some platforms being used as a marketing resource to advertise cyber criminal tools and services or acting as a shop window for more extensive facilities on the Dark Web.”

Dr. Michael McGuire

There are several hacking methods used that can put personal safety on social media at risk. Some of these dangers include: social engineering, cyberstalking, phishing attacks, fake accounts, botnets, and other various viruses. The outcomes from these attacks can range from annoying pop-ups to real life physical harm. Some of these consequences can be extremely serious and can result in life changing outcomes. This is why keeping your online information safe and secure is crucial. The next part of this post is going to share some tips on how to protect yourself on your social media accounts.

1. Adjust your Privacy Settings: When you create a social media account your default settings are more than often quite broad. This can allow for information sharing and unwanted friend requests in the future. It is a good idea to double check your location, friends, and post settings before putting anything online.
2. Sharing Information: Always be wise about sharing any kind of personal information through social media accounts. Never share social security numbers, credit card numbers, private addresses or any other personal identity. Also be careful where you post pictures and be sure you are not giving away any information such as a home address or license plate.
3. Use a Strong Password: Always be sure to include lowercase/capital letters, numbers, and a special character. It is suggested that you do not use the same password for multiple sites. In the instance your account gets hacked, then all of your shared password sites would be vulnerable. Be sure to change them frequently to remain secure.
4. Be Careful on Public WiFi: It is very easy for information to be gathered while on a public WiFi such as a coffee shop or restaurant. Try not to check any banking accounts or important personal information to reduce the risk of account leaks. If you are on your social media accounts on a public computer, be sure to completely log out before you leave. This also applies to your google account. Be sure to log off and delete your account from that computer.
5. Link Sharing: Never click on links sent to you through text, messenger, private message, or email even if it seems to be reliable. Take the time to log into the site yourself. More often than not these links are used to hack peoples personal information from their emails or social media accounts.

Social media can be a positive tool to help you expand your network and stay connected with the world around you. Just remember to keep your accounts under control and monitor them frequently. Stay safe!

Carter, J. (2019, October 25). Global social media research summary 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/

McGuire, M. (n.d.). Social Media Platforms and the Cybercrime Economy . Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://m.itcafe.hu/dl/cnt/2019-02/151108/bromium.pdf

Mukherjee, R. (2020, January 27). Social Media Cybersecurity 2020: The Rise Of Social Media Threats. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://vilabin.com/article/social-media-cybersecurity-2020-the-rise-of-social-media-threats/

Protect Your Social Media Accounts. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2020, from https://www.investor.gov/protect-your-investments/fraud/how-avoid-fraud/protect-your-social-media-accounts