Social media is everywhere nowadays and you need it to keep in touch as well as get a job in today’s online world. It is important to stay connected with friends, family, and reach potential employers, but how safe are you really online? There have been hacks in the past, so it is important to take steps to ensure your social media accounts are secure.
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Personal information
You would be surprised how much personal information gets posted online. Once you start paying attention to this, you will realize just how much people disclose. This is something for you to take note of because providing too much personal information is an easy way for hackers to get into your social media accounts. Do not post when you are going on vacation or the year of your birth, even your anniversary date can be dangerous, especially if you use any of these as part of your passwords.
Security settings
Educating yourself on each social media’s security settings is one of the most important things you can do. Research about what people can see and how you can control your privacy. If your children are using social media, make sure your parental controls are set to ensure they do not see anything too mature.
Security software
Along with learning about social media’s security, you should have your own security on your computer, laptop, or smartphone as well. Install the latest security software on your operating system to protect yourself against malware, viruses, and other threats online. Do not download free security software, be sure to pay for it because most of the free software is a scam.
Different passwords
Create different passwords for different accounts. Yes, this may mean you have up to 20 to 40 different username and password combinations, but that is good. This means if one of your accounts gets hacked, all the rest are still safe because you do not have the same password for everything. Make sure your password is strong by adding uppercase letters, numbers, and characters as well.
Weird links
Do you see a link on Facebook or Twitter and are not sure if it is safe to click? The best way to keep yourself safe is to not click the link. When it doubt, just move past the link and keep browsing. This way, you do not accidentally stumble upon a virus or malware that is waiting to take control of all your passwords and online identity.
Keeping yourself safe online is extremely vital in today’s online world. While it is important to have an online presence, it is even more imperative to educate yourself on each website’s privacy policies as well as how to keep yourself safe while browsing the web. Change your passwords often and make them strong by using a combination of letters, numbers, and characters. Furthermore, ensure security software is installed in your computer just in case anything should accidentally get downloaded.
