Source – https://sites.google.com/a/uconn.edu/safe-surfing/social-media
Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter etc. have gained a stronghold in our everyday life. Right from connecting with friends the social media tools have crossed all barriers and are now one of the most important smart phone applications. However just like lithography issues can affect the design of a printed circuit board; the same way irresponsible use of social media can affect your life and can even become a threat to your physical safety.
If a PCB manufacturer doesn’t keep the environment clean during PCB manufacturing, even small particles falling on a board can ruin the entire process. Same way, you must strive to keep your social media environment clean and free of any kind of dust or blemishes and behave responsibly online. Keeping the below tips in mind you can easily ensure your safety and become a responsible social media user.
1) Don’t share the information that is not supposed to be shared
Yes! Social media is a way for everybody to open up and connect with people. However you must not share too much and confidential information online to keep yourself safe from any kind of identity theft or privacy infiltration. It is quite obvious that you should never share your home address or phone number, PIN number, bank accounts as well as credit card information.
2) Always use caution while clicking on links
You might consider a link harmless which a friend of yours has sent you. However you should double-check everything before going ahead with the link. Does your friend shares these kind of links or not? It could be the situation that your friend’s account is compromised and the links serves as a back door for the hacker to get access to your account.
3) Don’t accept friend request of everybody
If you are the one who is into increasing his/ her friends then you are most likely to become the victim of identity theft as you might accept a friend request of an identity thief who has created a fake profile for accessing your information. So ditch the so-called popularity contests with your friends that who has the more number of friends. In fact smaller your social media circle the better for you.
4) Check your privacy settings
Assuming that the default privacy settings are enough for you is not at all recommended. Make sure that you go through the privacy section to check out what options are available for you and which ones are useful for you apart from the default ones selected by the social media site itself.
5) Installing Additional Applications
All the social media applications let you install third-party applications and even let you take part in certain contests or quiz with the help of third party tools. However it is best advised to stay away from such things as it could be one of the devious ways in which a hacker is trying to steal your information.
Social media is a great way to stay connected with the world 24/7. However using social media at the cost of your safety is not at all recommended. Just as we take care while using our credit cards & other digital products, social media needs to be treated the same way, always use with safety and security at the forefront!!
