Who isn’t a huge fan of the digital world? We check out our Facebook notifications more than we check out ourselves in the mirror. Uploading selfies on Instagram has become an addiction. Our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, MySpace, Google+ and so on) are like an open book to the world. It is the platform which lets us share our experiences, beliefs, memories and the thought that runs in our minds every second. Taking full advantage of this, we rip our hearts open to people around the globe and surprisingly, we find people with mutual feelings which later results in an “Add friend” action. Social media has never been more fun. From icy Himalayas to the torrid Death Valley, we connect with people from every domain. We make so many friends in so little time, and at times, we even generate feelings for them. But wait! Every thing has its side effects. And so does social media. With cyber, comes cyber crimes and we are unbarred to the criminal world. With so much personal information at stake, we cease to pay special attention to privacy, ending up risking our lives. To prevent a criminal from Photoshoping your face into something horrible or to avoid a hacker to make “Katrina” (cyclone, that is) of your social media accounts, you need to pause and take a look at these safety steps.
Strong Password Helps
If my name is Alisha and I was born in 1996, there’s no way in hell my password is going to be “Alisha1996” or “Alisha96” or Alisha8223..(my contact number)! If your password is based on your date/place of birth, or your mother’s name, or your name or your address, I’m sorry to break this to you, but you are a schmuck. You can change that, you know, provided you change your password. Build a strong password such as “Un1ucky_M3” (oops! I just revealed mine.) A password which is a combination of Lower and upper case letters and numbers will make a strong password but it must be retrieved easily.
Different Passwords Helps more
Your Facebook and your Gmail AND your Twitter passwords should never be alike. You have a better chance to checkmate cybercriminals if you act smart. Use unique passwords for unique sites!
Action screams louder
If one of your virtual “Friend” has posted something intolerable, block him instantly. If someone on the internet is harassing or threatening or speaking obscenities with you, report to the site administrator and block him quickly.
Beware while sharing personal information
If you have added unknown people to your friend list, be very careful when you post personal information. The more you post, more are the chances of hackers stealing and misusing your data.
No privacy? Know privacy!
Don’t go with the default settings the site is providing you. Millions of people can peep into and access your account if you don’t take the initiative to control the settings of your account. Limit the audience with whom you want to share your information.
Verify before you trust
It is amusing to impersonate your friends and use their identity. But it is also criminal. If you are suspicious about someone faking your friend’s identity, call them up and verify first. Be very cautious when you make friends on the social media.
Say No to public hotspots
Most social networks don’t have a secure login, so your username and password can be swiped up at any time. Play it safe. Login from trusted wireless networks.
