Introduction
Today’s Internet is so far beyond its beginnings with ARPANET in the 1960s that there is no comparison. Information, movies, business networks, and so much more are at our fingertips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Worldwide communication with friends, family, associates, or even strangers, has become the norm. We can sign up for an account at our bank and complete our banking from our armchairs. Video chats with friends via our smartphones are simple. But what about the downsides?
With increased access to the Internet comes an increased threat of attack by cybercriminals and cyberbullies. Many Internet users have trouble understanding what is possible and what others can do with the information they regularly post on social media sites like Twitter or while using social networks such as LinkedIn.
What are Social Networking and Social Media?
Social networks are sites and applications that are dedicated and accessible to almost anyone using the Internet for the purpose of interacting with people that have similar interests, are from the same area, do the same work, et cetera. These networks allow you to connect with people you are likely to create some form of relationship with based on common traits or pastimes.
Social media is the term used to describe the websites and applications used to create and share content, including personal blogs or messages, with others. This is the primary method of participation in social networks mentioned above. When we put up a status about our day on Facebook, we use social media to network socially.
What information do we post that we need to protect?
Engaging in social activities is a daily pastime for just about everyone, so what should we be careful about making available on social media? This could be a huge and varied topic, but for this post, we will limit it to three (3) primary groups:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII) – This is information that, gathered together, could harm you financially or in other ways. This information includes your social security/government ID number, address, birthday or family members’ birthdays, banking information (bank name, accounts, etc.), family members’ names, pet names (yes, these can be used against you!), and more. Simply stated, it’s information that identifies who you are.
- Child-related information – Over and above that mentioned in 1 above, photos of your children at home, at school, or playing sports can be a threat to them. These photos can contain hidden information called metadata. This metadata can sometimes include GPS coordinates, street addresses, the time the image was taken, etc. All of this information could be used to locate your child or their general whereabouts to take advantage of them in any number of ways.
- Business/work-related information – When we talk about work, we might divulge information about projects we are involved in or potential contracts we are interested in getting for our company. We might mistakenly expose some part of our login credentials. Additionally, patent or copyright information can be valuable items for bad actors to garner.
So what can I do to reduce the threat to myself, my family, and my organization?
Simply put, it is impossible to protect yourself 100% from threats. If someone truly wants to find out information about you or your organization, they will. Our lives touch too many places on the Internet to ensure you will never have any information gathered. Even if you, personally, never go anywhere or post anything, others will. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do everything you can to protect your information.
Be ever conscious of how the information you post might be used against you, your family, your friends, or the organization for which you work. If you need the information to obtain a loan, don’t post it on social media. If your pet’s name is part of your email login, don’t put it on Facebook. Don’t talk about that new piece of technology that your company is trying to get a patent on, even in a roundabout way.
When you prepare to post something online, check that you aren’t putting yourself in a compromised position before hitting that ‘send’ button. Is there anything in the post that could be used against you? Birth dates? When you’re leaving for vacation, or where you’re going? How much that new business venture or investment is worth? If you are posting a picture or pictures, does the camera used to take them to add metadata to the file? Does the photo image show a location, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris? These items can show where you are, which means they also expose where you are NOT, which is at home.
Being cautious and knowledgeable about your information is one of the most important ways of protecting yourself and your organization. Know the information you work with, know how it could be used against you, and protect it.
Northstarr Recommendations
While Northstarr is a business venture, we are dedicated to helping you and your employees protect what is important to you. If you need help with teaching your personnel how to safeguard themselves (and your organization) from the pitfalls of social media, then let us be your guide. This post is one of many future posts that can inform and instruct, creating a bridge between personal/professional security and the information you need to secure your lives and those of your personnel.
Northstarr can provide access to videos, training, and other resources as needed to enhance security now and in the future.
