Data breaches from Social media accounted for over 56% of the 4.5 billion data records compromised worldwide in the first half of 2018. Naturally, this increases our risk of Identity theft.
Some examples of identity theft are:
- Credit cards or bank accounts are opened in your name leading to financial loss
- Fake social media profiles are created to defame you or to cheat someone known to you
- Impersonate you to communicate with your friends or bank/telecom customer care to steal your money
Follow the below steps to secure your social media presence:
- First, refrain from posting personal details: Social media posts tend to be inclined towards the private lives of individuals. However, it is essential to be wary of facts and not give out information which can later be used to steal your identity.
- Details such as your birth date and place of birth are generally used as secondary information to reset passwords or ascertain your identity.
- Avoid posting your location, as stalkers may use it
- Tune the viewership of your posts accordingly. Manage Facebook privacy settings
- Restrict commenting options: Fine-tuning comments for your posts is also suggested, especially when people are tagged. This restricts unknown and uninvited online entities from entering links to advertisements or lewd websites in the comments section.
- Beware of fun games that are asking for your private information. Hackers create these fun games to steal your personal information.