6 WAYS TO STAY SAFE ONLINE
ProtectPro your identity by keeping youryou social media accounts secure
From online accounts being hacked to identity theft, the consequences of not being careful with your social media accounts can range from seemingly insignificant to life changing.
According to social media specialist and author of Visible, Nicola Moras, being hacked can have dire consequences, so protecting your social media accounts is crucial. Here are Nicole’s easy-toimplement tips on how to do protect both your information and your friends’.
1 DON’T SHARE OR WRITE DOWN YOUR PASSWORDS
This might sound obvious, yet you’d be surprised at how many people will share their personal information. Do not under any circumstances share the passwords to your social media accounts via text, messenger or email, and don’t write them (or hints to the password) anywhere in case someone else finds it.
2 BE MINDFUL OF HOW MUCH YOU’RE SHARING
Opportunists are everywhere! There are people out there who may follow you locally, so be careful about what you post. For example, you could write about being on holiday, and a friend or a family member may ask how long you’re going to be away.
If you then post that information and someone knows where you live or can find out, it’s like you have put a sign on your home asking to be broken into.
3 ARE YOUR FRIENDS REALLY YOUR FRIENDS?
Some people love having thousands of friends and connections online, but are your friends on there really your friends? Be discerning about the people you accept as friends online and as contacts.
If you don’t know them, have a look at the connections and friends you have in common and be curious as to why they might be sending you a friend request. If it feels suspicious, ignore the request.
4 DELETE ACCOUNTS YOU’RE NO LONGER USING
If you have an old account you’re not going to use any more, consider deleting it. These days we receive bills to our email accounts and other personal communication through our social media accounts. Before you delete them make sure you provide a current email address. This way, if someone tries to reactivate or login to a closed or old account, you’ll receive an email notifying you.
5 CHANGE PASSWORDS REGULARLY
Something that will help keep your accounts secure is regularly changing your password. Most social media profiles don’t have a regular prompt, so do it as a matter of due course at least every 90 days. If you fear there has been a breach of your own security, change all passwords instantly.
6 DON’T USE THE ‘SIGN IN WITH FACEBOOK’ WHEN