The Latest in IT Security

Privacy and security issues in social media are obviously a huge concern to many of the people who use these types of sites. Most of the people who actually show their personal information don’t understand the consequences they could face, and the others probably don’t care. It is more important now than ever before to protect your identity and the passwords to your profiles on social media sites. Unfortunately for Denard Robinson, a University of Michigan quarterback, he found out this information a little too late.

Somehow, Robinson’s ex-girlfriend got into his Twitter account in early October and posted some embarrassing messages. The tweets were quickly deleted, but the damage had been done. Robinson had only joined Twitter less than a month before his account was hacked, and soon after, he completely deleted the twitter account. He hadn’t even used the site very often, and admitted that he wasn’t sure what he was doing with a social networking site.

The very first post made it very clear that someone else was tweeting under his name. As the posts continue, the hacker made allegations that Robinson was not trustworthy and that he had cheated on his ex.

Not everyone is going to have someone who feels so strongly about them that they want to hack into their social networking account, and even if they did, the results probably wouldn’t be as public. However, it is still incredibly important for people and businesses to be aware of basic social media security measures for their password and their personal information. If you do decide to create a social media profile, please keep the following advice in mind.

• Create a complex password, and only share that password with those who need to know it.
• Change your password every now and then to make sure it hasn’t spread to someone who shouldn’t have it.
• Be careful using public computers that may remember your password.
• Before you start to create your profile or post anything, think about what a hacker, stalker, or employer would do with that information. If you are cautious with your posts, it will be harder for those people to use that information against you.
• Don’t reveal specific information about you. Posting your address, date of birth, kids’ names, phone numbers, or any account numbers or financial information could have severe consequences.
• Don’t post information that could harm your career. Hinting that you have a hangover or that you had a night of drinking will reflect poorly. Also, telling the world that you just smoked an illegal substance is not only bad for your career, but it also makes every one of your friends look bad by association.
• The previous bullet should also be considered when you post pictures online. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want a criminal or a potential employer to see.
• Be aware of your children’s use of social media. You should always monitor their internet activities and use protection software to control their web use.
• Go through the privacy settings on your profile often. The site may change a few things, and you should always be sure you know who can see your information.

Social media is less than six years old, and we are all starting to see the potential consequences of our online actions. You may not want to think about being hacked or having your information used against you, but many people only start to worry about it when it’s too late for them. This is a very real concern, and it is definitely better to be safe than sorry.

 Jenna White is an author who writes guest posts on the topics of business, marketing, credit cards, and personal finance. Additionally, she works for a website that focuses on educating readers about http://www.securedcreditcardsresource.org/ secured credit cards.