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With the explosion of social media platforms, the concerns regarding users’ privacy online have attracted the attention of regulators globally. Add to the mix the prying eyes of hackers and cyber criminals who take advantage of less tech-savvy users and use them to propagate their social engineering techniques like manipulation or deceit to gain control over their computer systems.Janaury 28 was celebrated as the data privacy day and here are 5 tips that you should keep in mind to stay safe on social media platforms.
Check social media accounts privacy settings
Checking the privacy settings of social accounts is the first defence against falling victim to hacking. Since social media companies update their privacy settings from time to time, users must keep a tab on it and consider tweaking privacy settings as per the new rules. Check to see if your posts and profile information are open to the public, and if they are, consider restricting them.
Restrict sharing personal information
While social media platforms are a gateway to share your photos and videos of what you do/ are doing, sometimes, the same information can become a source of problem for some users. You may become a target if you share too much personal information on social media.
Furthermore, conversations on social channels, such as DMs, may also be accessed without your knowledge, hence, it is advised to restrict the sharing of such information, like bank details, passwords, addresses and phone numbers on social media channels.
Be careful when responding to unknown people
One of the ways social media platform users are targeted online is by connecting with unknown people. A comment on a harmless-looking post may land you in coughing up personal information, which cyber attackers can use to break into online accounts. Online quizzes, games and even links posted on social media platforms are often used to do the same thing.
Keep guard up on social media
Just like people are advised to be wary of calls from unknown/ unidentified numbers, the same should be practised when online. If you get a private message on any of your social media inbox that looks suspicious and includes a link, consider it a scam and report it. Additionally, users should be careful when adding new friends to their social media friend list.
Use security tools
Tech companies, including social media firms, offer users tools to protect their accounts. They can restrict their profiles to only friends, use strong passwords and password managers, and deploy two-factor authentication for logging into their accounts. These practices help in keeping social accounts secure.
Check social media accounts privacy settings
Checking the privacy settings of social accounts is the first defence against falling victim to hacking. Since social media companies update their privacy settings from time to time, users must keep a tab on it and consider tweaking privacy settings as per the new rules. Check to see if your posts and profile information are open to the public, and if they are, consider restricting them.
Restrict sharing personal information
While social media platforms are a gateway to share your photos and videos of what you do/ are doing, sometimes, the same information can become a source of problem for some users. You may become a target if you share too much personal information on social media.
Furthermore, conversations on social channels, such as DMs, may also be accessed without your knowledge, hence, it is advised to restrict the sharing of such information, like bank details, passwords, addresses and phone numbers on social media channels.
Be careful when responding to unknown people
One of the ways social media platform users are targeted online is by connecting with unknown people. A comment on a harmless-looking post may land you in coughing up personal information, which cyber attackers can use to break into online accounts. Online quizzes, games and even links posted on social media platforms are often used to do the same thing.
Keep guard up on social media
Just like people are advised to be wary of calls from unknown/ unidentified numbers, the same should be practised when online. If you get a private message on any of your social media inbox that looks suspicious and includes a link, consider it a scam and report it. Additionally, users should be careful when adding new friends to their social media friend list.
Use security tools
Tech companies, including social media firms, offer users tools to protect their accounts. They can restrict their profiles to only friends, use strong passwords and password managers, and deploy two-factor authentication for logging into their accounts. These practices help in keeping social accounts secure.
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