Office of Information Security Shares 5 Tips to Safely Using Social Media

October 13, 2014

photo courtesy of fbi.gov

October is National Cyber Awareness Month (NCSAM) and according to staysafeonline.org, NCASM was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.  The Georgia Southern University Information Security Office is celebrating this month by sharing cyber information and tips each week.

Chief Information Security Officer Mike Wise says the Office of Information Security promotes a secure environment for the University to meet its mission of academic distinction in teaching, scholarships, research and service.

“Cyber Security is a constant factor in our lives. In today’s world, we are dependent on our online presence for everything from banking to watching our favorite shows. With this convenience comes the increased risk of cyber-crime,” said Wise. “Not only is your information at risk, but so is the security of the University data you come into contact with every day.”

In honor of the observance, Wise shared 5 tips from SafeWise.com to safely using social media.

1. Have a strong password – The stronger your password, the harder it is to guess. Use special characters like symbols and capital letters when creating your password. Also, don’t use “common” passwords, like your birthday or your child’s name.
2. Be careful with your status updates – Often, we innocently post status updates that would give an identity thief information they need to steal our identity. For example, you may post “Happy birthday to my mother!” and then tag her in the post. Likely, your mother’s maiden name will be associated with that tag now. A popular security question is “What is your mother’s maiden name?” and if you share that online, you run the risks of identity thieves getting the answer to this commonly used question.
3. Don’t reveal your location – You can use a fake location or make one up from another city and state. You may even be able to leave this information blank. Be cautious and never use a city and state where you live.
4. Don’t become overconfident – One of the biggest threats to online security is overconfidence. Whether at home or at work, many users believe as long as they have a firewall and an antivirus installed, there is no threat to security. Many people also believe that they don’t have anything worth hacking so there’s no need to worry about security. With today’s technology, we are more connected to each other than ever before.
5. Avoid posting travel plans, bank account information, your full address and birthdate, your children’s’ names, school, and birthdays, location information or your daily schedule.

For more tips on how to safely use social media visit www.staysafeonline.org.