The internet is full of information, but it can also be dangerous. Learn how to keep your family safe online.
Estimated reading time is 5 minutes.
Estimated reading time is 5 minutes.
Social media offers many ways to build relationships and share conversations, information and images with others online.
Friendly social media interactions can invite unwelcome guests to find out all about you for criminal gain, or to cause you damage.
While it has never been so easy to connect with friends, family and colleagues from around the world, unfortunately, people with malicious intentions are also drawn to social media because it’s easy to access personal information. The more you share, the more visible you are to everyone.
If your social media privacy settings are public, or if you connect with people you don’t know, you could become a target. Social media platforms encourage people to connect. Your connections offer cyber criminals an opportunity to target you, and potentially infect your entire social network.
The ease of being able to set up a social media account under any name, in any location to connect with people, offer customised apps and share links, means that social media can be a treasure trove of information for criminals.
Visit the Australian Government Office of the eSafety Commissioner to find out more about social engineering.
To maximise the security of your social media, you should never share the following things.
Don’t publish personal identity details including your birthdate, passport, drivers licence, financial information or even the names of your children, spouse or pets.
Never share information that reveals your home address. Protect postal box locations too.
If your social media network only includes people that you know, they should know how to contact you. If not, they can message you.
Never share information that identifies where you are. That includes dates that you’ll be away on holiday or travelling for work.
If you’re attending or hosting a private event, don’t share the details.
What you share on the internet could be available forever, to anyone. Police suggest not sharing images of children.
A funny or embarrassing personal story could be taken out of context and used against you.
Use your social media as you would if you were socialising at a public event. You wouldn’t overshare personal information when surrounded by people you don’t know.
If you’re accepting social media connection requests without knowing the people you’re bringing into your personal or business life, and you’re sharing personal information openly, you could become a target for:
You can take steps to minimise social media risks.
Criminals set up fake social media profiles and send connection requests with a goal to steal personal information. To stay safe, only connect with people or organisations you actually know. This, along with tightening up your privacy and security settings, is the safest way to use social media.
Each social media platform offers a range of privacy and security settings. Visit the support pages of the social media site to find out how to customise your settings to the highest level of privacy available.
Use strong passwords. Most social media platforms also offer a two step authentication option – for example adding your mobile phone number so you have to verify every log in attempt by using a One Time Password (OTP). This adds another layer of protection for you.
Here are the steps you need to take to protect yourself, and your social media connections.
Australian Government | Australian Cyber Security Centre and Stay Smart Online
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) brings cyber security capabilities from across the Australian Government together into a single location. It’s the hub for private and public sector collaboration and information sharing to combat cyber security threats. ACSC’s Stay Smart Online provides topical, relevant and timely information on how home internet users and small businesses can protect themselves from, and reduce the risk of, cyber security threats such as software vulnerabilities, online scams, malicious activities, and risky online behaviours.
Australian Government | ReportCyber
ReportCyber is a secure reporting and referral service for cybercrime and online incidents which may be in breach of Australian law. The ReportCyber website provides a cybercrime reporting mechanism as well as helpful information about cybercrime.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | Scamwatch
Scamwatch provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams using publications, videos and other online resources.
Australian Government | Office of the eSafety Commissioner
The Office of the eSafety Commissioner provides online safety education for Australian children and young people, a complaints service for young Australians who experience serious cyberbullying, and address illegal online content.
Australian Government | Attorney-General’s Department
The Attorney-General’s Department website provides helpful information and resources about your rights and protections in regards to identity security, freedom of information and cyber security. The Department has developed a range of resources to assist people protect their identity and recover from the effects of identity crime.
The internet is full of information, but it can also be dangerous. Learn how to keep your family safe online.
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