Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn… these are just a few of the most popular social networking sites. Nowadays, the vast majority of us have at least one social media account, which may be used for anything from keeping in touch with friends and family abroad to playing online games, building a professional reputation or just sharing interesting snippets from the web. Regardless of how you use your social media accounts, you should be very aware of just how much you are really sharing on there; your full name, location, date of birth… all of these could potentially be used by fraudsters looking to steal your identity.
Identity theft is a massive problem and one which is growing constantly. In 2011, identity theft rose to an all time high by 13 per cent to a scary 11.6 million. LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook were all used in obtaining the personal information needed to steal an identity, a fact which reinforces the importance of being vigilant online. While social networking sites are a fantastic way to keep in contact, users should always be aware that information posted online is never truly private.
In a recent survey, it was found that more than 60 per cent of social media users shared their school nickname, 18 per cent listed their phone number publicly and 12 per cent posted their pet’s name. While this may seem fairly trivial, all of this information could be used by a potential fraudster to guess passwords and assume the user’s identity. Once this has been done, the fraudster could open a bank account, take out a loan or credit card, access funds in an existing bank account or even obtain a passport or driving license in the user’s name.
While using social networking sites, particularly from a mobile device, there are some steps which should always be taken in order to protect your security and identity:
- Always keep your mobile device up to date with the latest version of the operating system software.
- Add a password or PIN to your home screen so that only you can access your information.
- Do not save any log-in information on your mobile device; the browser or application may ask if you want to remember your details, always select No.
- On both mobile and home devices, make sure that your financial and other private data is stored securely and that a password is required to access it.
- Do not use public, unsecured Wi-Fi connections to carry out banking transactions or others, which transmit sensitive information.
- Be aware of how much information you are sharing via social media. You don’t need to hide behind a pseudonym, but neither should you post absolutely everything. Definitely do not post anything which could be used as a password hint.
- If you are unsure about a site, application or question, err on the side of caution and avoid providing your details. Think about why an organisation would be asking for certain information – do they need to know it? What could they use it for?
- Always use the highest privacy settings on the social network. Only allow trusted individuals to access your details and do not accept random friend requests.
- Use a strong password. Passwords should contain a mix of numbers, letters and special characters to make them as difficult to guess as possible. You should also use a different password for each service.
- Remember that there is no “delete” button on the internet. If you post something online, it could be saved or screen-captured by someone else, even if you delete it soon after. Think carefully about what you post and always assume that what you post could be public knowledge. Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t willingly share with people face-to-face.
- Pay attention to privacy policies. Around 90 per cent of internet users skip past the privacy policies on websites which they use, meaning that they are not aware of the ways in which information they provide may be used.
- Always log off when you leave a device. Whether it is your home computer, your mobile device or a shared workstation, don’t leave it logged in and unattended.
- Always secure your wireless connection. Adding a password to your home Wi-Fi connection will prevent anyone else from gaining access to it and potentially to your sensitive data.
- Install and use reputable antivirus software on all devices. Scan regularly for viruses and act accordingly when any are found.
- If you use applications on Facebook or other social networking sites, review them regularly and revoke the access of any which you no longer use or which appear to have been changed.
The advice given in this article relates specifically to online and social networking use; for general information about identity theft, please see our recent article on Protecting Yourself Against Identity Fraud.
If you are concerned about identity theft, call Identity Theft Protection UK (a Lifesure company) on 01480 402460 to discuss how to protect yourself with MyPrivacySafe.
