In a world of social distancing and quarantines, we live our lives more frequently on social media. From the pictures of the kids to the quick trip to the lake to that old picture from high school, our lives, both past and present, are displayed on our profiles. It is a great way for us to connect and be connected, but we should wonder who else is watching...
We should not live like there is a scammer and a conspiracy lurking around every corner, yet we should stop to think before we post. Just like we taught our kids, stopping to think now can lead to less problems down the road.
Here are some questions to ask before you post for you and your family's security online:
- Am I giving away too much personal information? Scammers could use your personal information to impersonate you to someone else. They could also use personal information to hack your password reset questions.
- Am I sharing my location too freely? Posting vacation pictures online while on the vacation is a large "empty home" sign for those that might want to break into your house.
- Am I exposing my kids every moment to the world? Though every parent thinks that their kid is the cutest, posting endless pictures of your kid, his or her school, and other frequented locations could put your child in danger to people that might want to harm them.
With all this doom and gloom, we should not run from social media completely. Here are some simple things you can do to protect you and your family:
- Privitize Your Social Media Accounts- Look at the privacy settings to see what information you are sharing with friends or followers and what information you are sharing with the world.
- Protect Your Computer with Antivirus and Software Updates- Make sure your computer has an antivirus and your software is up to date to keep people for accessing the information on your computer.
- Provide Unique Passwords through a Password Manager- Each website needs its own unique password instead of you using a universal password. Passwords can be created and managed through a password manager program.
If you would like help better protecting you and your family online through a password manager or antivirus solution, please give Reliant Media a call. We would be glad to join your team in protecting your online security.