Social Media and You-How To Be Cyber Smart?

Now more than ever, consumers spend increasing amounts of time on the internet. With every social media account you sign up for, every picture you post, and status you update, you are sharing information about yourself with the world. How can you be proactive and do your part.

Did You Know?

Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared the month of October to be Cyber security Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cyber-security.

Over the years it has grown into a collaborative effort between government and industry to enhance cyber security awareness, encourage actions by the public to reduce online risk and generate discussion on cyber threats on a national and global scale. October 2024 marks the 21st Cyber security Awareness Month.

• In 2020 3.81 billion people worldwide now use social media worldwide. That’s an increase of more than 9% from the previous year. Put another way: 49% of the total world population is using social networks.

• Digital consumers spend nearly 3 hours on social networks and social messaging every day. So take these simple steps to connect with confidence and safely navigate the social media world.

Simple Tips

• If you connect it, protect it. Whether it’s your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, game device, or other network devices, the best defense against viruses and malware is to update to the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems. Sign up for automatic updates, if you can, and protect your devices with anti-virus software. Read the Phishing Tip Sheet for more information.

Four Ways to Stay Safe Online

• Recognize & Report Phishing 

• Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.

• What is Phishing? the fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers

• Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are long, random, and unique and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for each of your accounts.

Turn On MFA

You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.

What is MFA? Multi-factor authentication, or MFA, is a way to verify user identity that is more secure than the classic username-password combination. MFA usually incorporates a password, but it also incorporates one or two additional authentication factors. A two-factor authentication (2FA) is a type of MFA.

Update Your Software

Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.

Additional Tips

• 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 them 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 cyber-crime. Local and national authorities are ready to help you.

• Share with care. Even if you delete a post or picture from your profile seconds after posting it, chances are someone still saw it. Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet.

• Update your privacy settings. Set the privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable “geotagging”, which allows anyone to see where you are at any given time.

• 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.

Be Smart and Stay Safe

For more information on cyber security, visit www.cisa.gov/ncsam

Courtesy of Simon Kemp and Deyan G.