Who would think that social media could become dangerous for people to meet? What starts as fun and entertaining could turn in to something dangerous. There are numerous cases of virtual stalking, harassment, etc. There are hackers who get hold of the information you provide on your social accounts and misuse it. Though social networks bring people together, it has also increased Internet crimes. There are complaints over the years about various social media abuse. We read about victims who were subject to social media harassment.
Source: mashable.com
Here are a few tips to protect your social media accounts:
Keep changing passwords:
Many of us make the mistake of having obvious passwords like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, phone numbers, etc. This makes it really easy for hackers to access your account easily. Try not to use obvious passwords and keep changing them regularly. Don’t keep the same login and password.
Use the Social Network’s help center:
There is a reason for every social network to have a help center. They are there to help the users in crisis. Whenever you face a problem or get compromising messages from people you don’t know, report them immediately. Many are not aware about the help center and fail to report many violations of social media accounts. Safeguard your accounts by reporting any suspicious actions you find on your account. Instead of updating your status about it, take a step further and do the needful.
Log out when you access Social Media through phones:
I’ve seen many scenarios where there are irrelevant messages posted by a user. He later comments on the post stating that he had forgotten to log out and his friends tried to pull his leg. This might sound like fun, but what if someone you don’t know gets to access your account? What if that person posts uncompromising messages or gets vital information from your account? It is easy to leave your account open on mobile phones. But it can turn in to a disaster. Always log off after using your social media account.
Refrain from updating your whereabouts:
Do you know it’s easy to track you down when you keep updating your whereabouts? Yes, it is awesome to use social media as a stress buster when you are at the office or when sharing your experiences when you travel. However, it also gives information about where you are currently. This provides easy information to anyone who tries to dig more about your life.
Don’t accept anyone who sends a friend request:
This is a foolish thing to do. Remember, there are no norms in using social media except maybe age bar (which people forge). You won’t know if the person has provided the right information on his page. If you don’t know the person who has sent you a friend request, simply ignore them. If he goes on persisting, report him as spam.
These are a few tips to protect you and your social media accounts from possible threats. It is due to this platform that people’s lives are becoming more public and less private. Don’t take social media easily – it pays to know the advantages and disadvantages of using social media.
This guest post is written by Ryan Larkin, on behalf of Broadbandproviders.com – the leading provider of the best value broadband internet. He writes about tips and updates that relates to the Internet and Technology. click here
