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Cybersecurity Awareness: Tips for Social Media
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Cybersecurity Awareness: Tips for Social Media

By October 1, 2019April 14th, 2026No Comments

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Cybersecurity is likely a term you’ve been hearing lately.  Below you find some tips regarding social media to better secure yourself, your family, and your organization. Also provided is a printable flyer that can be posted in common areas.

Did You Know?

  • 3.48 billion people worldwide now use social media worldwide. That’s an increase of 9% from 2018. Put another way: 45% of the total world population are using social networks.
  • Digital consumers spend nearly 2.5 hours on social networks and social messaging every day.
  • 69% of U.S. adults use at least one social media site and the average American has 7.1 social media accounts.

Simple Tips to Own It

  • Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet. Share with care, because even if you delete a post or picture from your profile seconds after posting it, chances are someone still saw it.
  • Update your privacy settings and enable multifactor authentication. Set the privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable geotagging, which allows anyone to see where you are—and where you aren’t—at any given time. Setup multifactor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts.
  • Connect only with people you trust. While some social networks might seem safer for connecting because of the limited personal information shared through them, keep your connections to people you know and trust.
  • Never click and tell. Limit what information you post on social media—from personal addresses to where you like to grab coffee. What many people don’t realize is that these seemingly random details are all that criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones, and your physical belongings—online and in the real world. Keep Social Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords private, as well as specific information about yourself, such as your full name, address, birthday, and even vacation plans. Disable location services that allow anyone to see where you are—and where you aren’t—at any given time.
  • Speak up if you’re uncomfortable. If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or you think is inappropriate, let him or her know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you’ve posted makes him or her uncomfortable. People have different tolerances for how much the world knows about them, and it is important to respect those differences. Don’t hesitate to report any instance of cyberbullying you see.
  • Report suspicious or harassing activity. Work with your social media platform to report and possibly block harassing users. Report an incident if you’ve been a victim of cybercrime. Local and national authorities are ready to assist you.

Example of How Social Media Information can be Used to Target You

This short video shows how Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof, could use an Instagram feed to launch an attack: youtu.be/SWIyVYrwTzo

  • Terms used in the video:
    • Social Engineering – use of deception into manipulating targets to divulge confidential or personal information which can be used for fraudulent purposes.
    • Vishing – Similar to phishing emails, but involves talking to the target over the phone.

Guides to Adjust Privacy & Enable Multifactor Authentication

With a little care, you can take control of your social media identity!

Printable Flyer for Posting in Common Areas