CA – JUN 15 – CONSUMER TIPS
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in monthly
CONSUMER TIPS
Tips for safe social networking
Social networking sites are all-pervasive, but aren’t always safe. We give you some tips to stay safe while on these sites.
Be discreet: Be conservative while sharing information. Disclosing your address, birthday or anniversary may help identity thieves. They latter two are often used in passwords. Google yourself to see what information about you is available. Check that no one is using your identity online.
Manage privacy settings: Make sure that you create groups to share pictures and posts with your friends so that it cannot be shared outside your social circle. Make the security settings on your profile to ‘Only my friends’.
Share with fewer people: Facebook, Twitter and other sites make sharing thoughts with a large group easier. It is fun until you accidentally share something you didn’t intend to. Regularly review the list of friends, e-mail contacts, Twitter followers and do not add strangers to your list.
Be skeptical: Don’t believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities.
Sign out: Be sure to sign out of your account when you leave your desk; otherwise someone else can easily access your account and pretend to be you. Also, delete old accounts and regain control of your digital existence.
Sites use your information: Most networking sites are free to use your information which means they make money by advertising to you. Review the privacy policy as some sites may share information such as email address or user preferences with other companies. Also, use caution while enabling third-party applications.
Use anti-virus software: Be sure to update anti-virus software for your computer; several viruses attack your contact list and then send mails to everyone from your list while spreading the virus.
Source: www.networkworld.com, www.pcmag.com
