Help for the Pain

Social networking is a fantastic way to track an old friend or family member you may have lost contact with over the years. However, you must be cautious about how much information you provide. If you can find that friend, so can a hacker. Social networks can also use your information to build connections for spam, undesired information that can fill your mailbox with sales and other types of information. You should never click on a site you do not recognize. Here are some important tips.

Registration

Use of a strong password is a very important step. Try using different passwords for each site you access. It will make it more difficult for a hacker to break.

If security questions are provided, choose a topic others will not know about you.

Never use a work-associated email on a social network site. Create a new email address specified for your social network profile.

Don't use your real name-- most importantly, your last name. On some networks, this may violate the terms of service agreement.

Before signing the account, be sure to review the terms of service and privacy policy.

Always use spy-ware protection and a good anti-virus program on the computer.

During registration, many of the social networks solicit a new user so the user's email address book can be accessed. If you provide this information, it can be passed to other email contacts. These new contacts can solicit your information and post information as if it was you writing the information. Beware of this!

Basic Tips

Educate yourself with available privacy settings. Use the custom settings. For example, Facebook has a classification for "Friends Only." This will provide maximum privacy.

Never share your place of birth, age, or birthday. Data mining companies and identity thieves can locate this information; it leads to you directly. Research has shown this information provides predictability for accessing your social security number information.

Be aware of private policy and terms of service changes. This can be tracked to an official site profile, such as Site Governance on Facebook.

Use caution when clicking on shortened links.

Avoid pop-up windows, especially if viruses and/or security threats have been indicated. Some companies offer an ad-block feature to aid with this issue.

It is important to delete cookies after you have been active on a social networking site.

Remember, whatever you post on the site can be viewed by everyone. For example, don't post anything you do not want a family member or friend to view. Many people share photos; if you do not want your information viewed, you can always ask the person to remove it. You can also untag those photos.

Never use dates or locations of vacations. This information can be noted by burglars who may rob your home while you are out of town. Avoid using geotagging or any posting that notes your specific location. Don't share a regular routine, such as where you can be met for lunch.

This information should put you on the right track to understanding how to protect your computer. Social networking is a great tool when used correctly. Unfortunately, hackers have a different idea! If you do find yourself a victim of a hacker or an identity thief, be sure to contact your lawyer like one from Law Office of Daniel E Goodman, LLC to find out what options you have to fight back.