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Let's face it in 2018 Social and professional networking is one of our favorite activities and ways of keeping connected. The truth is however, we must be wary of cyber risks.
Below are some tips on Internet and social media safety as they are easy ways of protecting your personal information.
1. Be careful about getting too personal—remember that social media accounts may include your phone number, city, date of birth, children's names and birthdates, etc. Do not provide the information that is not NECESSARY.
2. The Internet is a public place—everything is searchable. Assume that an employer or thief is always watching.
3. Don't talk to strangers—connect only with people you actually know to prevent hacking, stalking, blackmailing and catfishing.
4. Privacy is key—keep your privacy settings as tight as possible and limit who can see what and for how far back.
5. Careful what you click on—third-party applications, articles and quizzes can be entertaining but can also be a dangerous invitation to a virus. These 3rd party applications also access your information and may do what they want with it. READ terms of service for any 3rd party applications you wish to use.
6. Password protect—keep your passwords strong, long and where they belong (not easily accessible to others). Change your passwords regularly.
7. Automatically update and virus protect—keeping your software, operating system, and virus protection turned on and updated can help protect against new and emerging threats.
8. Remember the children—kids are especially susceptible to cyber bullying and unsavory contacts. Monitor conversations, limit the time spent on social media sites, and check that sites are age appropriate.
If you are concerned about identity theft, or cyber security talk to your insurance agent about available protections your homeowners or business policy may be able to provide for financial losses such an occurrence might cause.
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