
Today I received an e-mail from PC Tools, which raised some questions for me about my Facebook presence. Most of us tend to believe that we can reveal any information we choose on social networks. Not everyone is truly our friend, though - there are some bad people out there!
In case you are not aware of these issues, here is the content of that e-mail:
“How much information are you revealing on Facebook, and how much is too much?
“Did you know that more than half of social network users are putting themselves at risk of cybercrime by revealing too much personal data?
“A recent survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center illustrates how risky behavior on social networks can have serious consequences:
• 52% of adult users post information that makes them susceptible to cyber attacks
• 40% include their full birth date
• 26% post sensitive information about their children, including photos and names
• Many users post their full address as well as updates about when they’re not home
• 9% of users have experienced some type of online abuse, such as identity theft or a malware infection, within the last year
“Tips from PC Tools for staying safe on social networks:
1. Choose a strong password that combines letters (upper- and lowercase), numbers, and symbols. PC Tools can help you out by generating a random, secure password for you. A complex password is especially important for social networks because you don’t want anyone figuring out your log-in information, spamming your friends, and damaging your online reputation.
2. Don’t post too much information. Don’t give in to the temptation of posting too much information. Social networks often give us a false sense of security, as we assume that we’re surrounded by friends. A status update, however, could be searchable online, and you certainly wouldn’t want just anyone to know that you and your family will be on vacation—and away from your unprotected home—for 3 weeks.
3. Get to know the latest Facebook privacy controls, and tweak them to reflect your custom preference. There have been a lot of changes to privacy settings recently and Facebook has developed a comprehensive Privacy Guide that explains in detail how to control what you share.
4. Keep your antivirus software updated!. You’re smart to have a complete security solution, in the first place—just make sure it stays effective keeping on top of the latest updates.”

I should mention that I’m not using PC Tools myself, and this post is not intended as an endorsement. I just felt that it was important enough that we should all be aware of the problem.
Let’s be careful out there in cyberspace!
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