Which of the following is the most secure way to keep sensitive data private when using social networking sites or apps?

It’s hard to go a few days of scanning the news without hearing about a major data breach, potentially exposing millions of customers’ personal data to criminals. Here are a few tips to ensure your personal information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.

When creating a password, think beyond words or numbers that a cybercriminal could easily figure out, like your birthday. Choose combinations of lower and upper-case letters, numbers, and symbols and change them periodically. It’s also better to create a unique password instead of using the same password across multiple sites—a password manager tool can help you keep track.

We all have that one friend who posts too many intimate details of their life online. Not only can this be annoying, but it can also put your personal information at risk. Check your privacy settings so you are aware of who’s seeing your posts, and be cautious when posting your location, hometown, birthday, or other personal details.

A little online shopping never hurt anyone…or did it? Most free public Wi-Fi networks have very few security measures in place, which means others using the same network could easily access your activity. You should wait until you’re at home or on a secure, password-protected network before whipping out that credit card.

Cybercriminals are sneaky, and will often compose their phishing scams to look like legitimate communications from a bank, utility company, or other corporate entity. Certain things like spelling errors or a different email address than the typical sender can be a clue that the email is spam.

Before entering personal information into a website, take a look at the top of your browser. If there is a lock symbol and the URL begins with “https,” that means the site is secure. There are a few other ways to determine if the site is trustworthy, such as a website privacy policy, contact information, or a “verified secure” seal.

Install anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall. For additional protection, you may want to consider cyber insurance, which can keep you and your family safe if you fall victim to a cyberattack. At Chubb, our experts are ready to evaluate your cyber vulnerabilities, help cover fraudulent charges, and ensure your family has the resources you need to recover emotionally, too.

Lately, privacy concerns have increasingly gained a broader public and political debate. This is partly because of social media and the internet in light of the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Today, social media platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, Linked In, and Snapchat have become internet user’s digital billboards.

Here, people share news, pictures, personal views, and nearly anything that’s going on in their lives.

The large amount of information that people share on social media – some of which is very personal –attracts other viewers outside of their trusted circle of relatives and friends.

Someone somewhere records much of what you do on your social media for reasons you may not know.

The government, Spambots, ad companies, vindictive acquaintances, and worse still cybercriminals could also have an interest in your personal information.

Knowing these privacy concerns, we identify ways to protect your privacy on social media in this article.

We believe that with the information in this article, you can take appropriate measures to protect your social media privacy.

Can you control your privacy on Social Media?

Conventional wisdom has continuously suggested that each individual is in charge of their social media privacy.

You only need to check some boxes, it is thought, to move your social media privacy from “weak” to “strong” and protect your online information.

In reality, it is hardly possible to control your social media privacy.

This is because even if you are doing everything possible to protect your privacy on social media, including deleting your account, your friends and relatives will still share your personal information.

Even getting rid of your social media apps may not be helpful in this case.

The evident lack of privacy on social media makes it important to protect your online privacy before you share anything on any social media platform.

How to Protect Your Privacy on Social Media

Here’re some tips to help you protect your privacy on social media:

1. Read and Understand the Privacy Terms

Every website on the internet has privacy terms, including social media sites.

Before signing into any social media and registering an account, it is important that you read and understand their privacy terms.

Pay particular attention to the privacy terms of the information you are registering and agreeing to share when you sign up for an account with a social media platform.

For instance, what content can be shared with the third party, can you delete your content on the website permanently.

2. Site Features

Ensure you familiarize yourself with the social media site’s functionality before you broadcast or share any messages.

Understand who will see your messages and whether they’ll be only specified recipients or all users on the platform.

Above all, understand the privacy settings and privacy vulnerabilities on the social media site.

3. Adjust your Privacy Settings

For every social media platform you are using, always check the default privacy settings on their site.

Most default privacy settings on social media may permit the sharing of your information with other third-party online users.

Adjusting the default privacy settings may limit the amount of information that the social media site can share with other users outside of your knowledge.

4. Biographical Information

To register an account with many social media platforms, you’ll be required to provide your biographical information such as full name, year of birth, age, or address.

Keep these pieces of information to yourself to limit what other social media users know about you. Such information can provide cybercriminals with enough data to cause you harm.

You may consider customizing the privacy settings on your media to minimize personal information on the same platform.

5. Account Information

Consider carefully the kind of personal detail you provide on your social media profile.

Never provide sensitive information such as nearest schools, political affiliation, bank account information, former or current workplace, Social Security numbers, or general interests, among others.

Providing this information may appear harmless, but it can be used to scam you or serve you unnecessary ads.

6. Friends or Contacts

You don’t have any obligation to accept a “friend or follow” request of anyone on social media, particularly those you do not know.

Be careful when accepting friends or following friends or contacts with a keen consideration of why you are using the site.

Before accepting any follow or friend request, research about the person, and understand (from their timeline) who they are, what they do, and what kind of content they share.

7. Turn Off Your Location

While adjusting your privacy settings, never forget to turn off your gadget’s location sharing.

This way, you’ll avoid giving reviews to places and businesses you frequently visit. Turning off your location prevents your Facebook, email, and Phone Lookup.

8. Be careful about posting photos online

Before you post any photos, think twice. Posting photos on social media has been identified as one of the risky social networking activities.

For instance, a simple, harmless picture of your child without a name may already be revealing too much information.

Advertising your whereabouts through pictures could make you, your loved ones, or your home a tempting target for cybercriminals.

9. Avoid Clickbait

No social media will take responsibility for third-party apps.

When prompted to ‘comment below to see magic’ or ‘check which celebrity you share a birthday with,’ avoid clicking these random baits.

They are third-party apps that try to capture and misuse your private information.

Security Tips for Privacy on Social Media

As with all web-based accounts, you need to counter the lack of privacy on social media by taking precautions to secure your privacy and account information. Here are a few security tips:

✅Choose a “strong,” secure password.
✅Use different passwords on all your different social media accounts.
✅Change your passwords frequently.
✅Avoid logging into public computers or using friends’ phones to log in to your social media accounts.
✅Use caution with public wireless connections when accessing your social media accounts. If possible, use a VPN.
✅Avoid using public or shared devices to access your social media accounts.
✅Avoid clicking on social media links, even the ones sent to you by a friend.
✅Secure your devices with password protection to protect your social media and other information in case they are stolen or lost.

Wrapping Up

In the future, social media apps may partly be required to protect their user’s privacy and keep them safe.

But until then, there are steps you can take to protect your own privacy.

By using a VPN, you can help secure your data and limit the amount of information that companies can mine from your browsing habits.

Enjoy fast and private access to the internet while protecting your personal social media accounts just by connecting through a VPN.

There are websites where you can get some handy tips that can help you protect your privacy on social media.

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