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Staying Safe on Social Network Sites
The popularity of social networking sites continues to increase,
especially among teenagers and young adults. The nature of these sites
introduces security risks, so you should take certain precautions.
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What are social networking sites?
Social networking sites, sometimes referred to as
"friend-of-a-friend" sites, build upon the concept of traditional
social networks where you are connected to new people through people
you already know. The purpose of some networking sites may be purely
social, allowing users to establish friendships or romantic
relationships, while others may focus on establishing business
connections.
Although the features of social networking sites differ, they all
allow you to provide information about yourself and offer some type of
communication mechanism (forums, chat rooms, email, instant messenger)
that enables you to connect with other users. On some sites, you can
browse for people based on certain criteria, while other sites require
that you be "introduced" to new people through a connection you
share. Many of the sites have communities or subgroups that may be
based on a particular interest.
What security implications do these sites present?
Social networking sites rely on connections and communication, so they
encourage you to provide a certain amount of personal
information. When deciding how much information to reveal, people may
not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting
someone in person because
- the internet provides a sense of anonymity
- the lack of physical interaction provides a false sense of
security
- they tailor the information for their friends to read, forgetting
that others may see it
- they want to offer insights to impress potential friends or
associates
While the majority of people using these sites do not pose a
threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the
accessibility and amount of personal information available on
them. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier
it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form
relationships online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to
meet them in person. That could lead to a dangerous situation. The
personal information can also be used to conduct a social engineering
attack (see Avoiding Social
Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information). Using
information that you provide about your location, hobbies, interests,
and friends, a malicious person could impersonate a trusted friend or
convince you that they have the authority to access other personal or
financial data.
How can you protect yourself?
- Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not
post information that would make you vulnerable (e.g., your address,
information about your schedule or routine). If your connections post
information about you, make sure the combined information is not more
than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing.
- Remember that the internet is a public resource - Only
post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes
information in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once
you post information online, you can't retract it. Even if you remove
the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist
on other people's machines (see Guidelines for
Publishing Information Online for more information).
- Be wary of strangers - The internet makes it easy for
people to misrepresent their identities and motives (see Using Instant
Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely for more information). Consider
limiting the people who are allowed to contact you on these sites. If
you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount
of information you reveal or agreeing to meet them in person.
- Be skeptical - Don't believe everything you read
online. People may post false or misleading information about various
topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done
with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, a product of
exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and
try to verify the authenticity of any information before taken any
action.
- Check privacy policies - Some sites may share
information such as email addresses or user preferences with other
companies. This may lead to an increase in spam (see Reducing Spam
for more information). Also, try to locate the policy for handling
referrals to make sure that you do not unintentionally sign your
friends up for spam. Some sites will continue to send email messages
to anyone you refer until they join.
Children are especially susceptible to the threats that social
networking sites present. Although many of these sites have age
restrictions, children may misrepresent their ages so that they can
join. By teaching children about internet safety, being aware of their
online habits, and guiding them to appropriate sites, parents can make
sure that the children become safe and responsible users (see Keeping Children
Safe Online for more information).
Author: Mindi McDowell
Produced 2006 by US-CERT, a government organization. Terms of use
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Last
updated
February 13, 2008
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