"As soon as there is life, there is danger"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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In today's social media gone amok world, everyone thinks they need to be and should be social and sociable with EVERYONE. For some reason many of us think of the Internet as somehow being different than the "real world."
We let our collective guard done repeatedly, allowing essentially strangers access into our lives.
I am all for social media and I have met some truly wonderful people online but for every truly wonderful person there's X number of not so truly wonderful folks...
Recently, my wife shared with me a fantastic article re: staying safe, what not to do, etc re: social media and I want to share some of the info gleaned with you...
First, here's some of the "Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook" as per Consumer Reports:
Using a Weak Password
Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A password should have at least eight characters. One good technique is to insert numbers or symbols in the middle of a word, such as this variant on the word "houses": hO27usEs!
Leaving Your Full Birth Date in Your Profile
It's an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and potentially gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you've already entered a birth date, go to your profile page and click on the Info tab, then on Edit Information. Under the Basic Information section, choose to show only the month and day or no birthday at all.
Posting Your Child's Name in a Caption
Don't use a child's name in photo tags or captions. If someone else does, delete it by clicking on Remove Tag. If your child isn't on Facebook and someone includes his or her name in a caption, ask that person to remove the name.
Here's the full list...
Here's some "Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook" from CBS Money Watch...
Vacation Plans
There may be a better way to say "Rob me, please" than posting something along the lines of: "Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!" on Twitter. But it's hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don't invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you'll be gone.
Risky Behaviors
You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there's no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.
Here's the full list...
And finally from Identity Theft 911, more tips on how to stay safe in a social media world...
Treat your laptop as if you know it's going to be stolen. Use the password-prompt on start-up, and shut it down for the night when you are done. Consider using open-source encryption programs such as TrueCrypt.
Log out of any social networking site when not in use. Use different log-ins for various sites.
Don't use the last four digits of your SSN, your mother's maiden name, your date of birth, your middle name, your child's name, your pet's name, or anything else easily discovered or guessed.
Here's the full list...
As I mentioned previously, I am all for social media, I believe in the power of social media and I think social media is here to stay.
So as such, I think it's important to stay safe in a social media world and always remember the immortal words Sergeant Phil Esterhaus...
Hey, let's be careful out there...
What sayeth you?
Do you practice safe social media?
Are you social media promiscuous?