Networking Not So Friendly After All
By Robin Harris
When you use words like “friends” and “sharing,” you don’t
think of the possible dangers that could occur being part of a social network
but the reality of it is there are many. We all have the great chance of being
part of the statistics, from identity theft to our employer snooping, or maybe
even cyber-stalking. The problem is the
Internet leaves us very vulnerable to a long list of threats.
According to National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)-MacAfee
Online Safety Study in 2011, 26% of Americans said they were sharing more
information on social networks than the previous year.
When Joan Goodchild, senior editor of CSO (Chief Security
Officer) Online was asked “do people really have privacy on Facebook,” this was
her answer:
“No. There are all
kinds of ways third parties can access information about you. For instance, you
may not realize that when you are playing the popular games on Facebook, such
as Farmville, or take those popular quizzes, every time you do that, you
authorize an application to be downloaded to your profile that you may not
realize gives information to third parties.”
With the rising hype of social networking, employers are
getting involved too. Some companies
have polices regarding what you can and cannot post about that employer on your
website. Other employers are gathering
information about you from wherever they can. They are looking at your social media pages
for unflattering pictures or posts and may even discriminate due to religious
views and sexual orientation. Let’s not
forget about HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violations
for those of you working in fields that are responsible for other people’s
privacy. Employers have sought out and
fired individuals for disclosing information (names, pictures, addresses, and
incidents) that should be protected, all in the name of sharing.
Our relationships aren’t safe either. We’re letting everyone know just how we feel
unasked and it could hurt us more than we ever imagined. According to a survey completed by the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers on Facebook, more and more lawyers and clients
are coming to divorce court armed with evidence from Facebook that their spouse
is cheating, flirting, or changing their relationship status on Facebook. In
fact, the survey claims that 20% of divorce cases are Facebook-related breakups.
Mashable.com did a survey stating that:
Almost 25% of respondents found out their own relationships were
over by seeing it on Facebook first.
Around 21% of respondents said they would carry out a
Facebook breakup by changing their status to single.
Nearly 40% of respondents have updated their status on
Facebook so the person they’re dating sees they have plans.
Almost 35% of respondents have used their Facebook status to
make someone think they have plans, even if they don’t.
Examiner.com goes as far as naming the top three problems
that social media causes in relationships:
•Reveals too much information. Any “Friend” or “Fan” can look into
your past photos, wall posts, comments, events, etc. and learn everything
social media presents “About” you, without speaking to you once.
•Pressures relationships by publicizing private issues. Conflicts and
interactions can be publicly presented and lead to comments and opinions from
any person who views the information.
•Goldmine for jealousy. Changing privacy settings to avoid
presenting misinformation and differing on- and off-line personalities may make
it appear that you are hiding something and cause conflict.
We also have to be worried about stalkers. National figures
show victims of cyber stalking tend to be females during the ages of 18-29 but
women are not the only targets. A survey of 765 students at Rutgers University
and the University of Pennsylvania found 45% of stalkers to be female and 56% to
be male. National figures show most stalkers to be male by an overwhelming
margin (87%).
Here are 10 tips to help keep you safe during your social
networking provided by About.com
1.
There’s
no such thing as private. Whatever you post, tweet, update, share -- even
if it's deleted immediately afterwards -- has the potential to be captured by
someone, somewhere, without your knowledge.
2.
A little
bird told me every time you use
Twitter, the government keeps a copy of your tweets. Sounds crazy, but it's
true. According to the Library of Congress blog: "Every public tweet,
ever, since Twitter's inception in March 2006, will be archived digitally at
the Library of Congress.
3.
X marks
the spot. Be cautious about using geo-location services, apps, Foursquare,
or any method that shares where you are. Women use geo-location services less compared
to men; many are afraid of making themselves more vulnerable to cyber stalking.
4.
Separate
work and family. Keep your family safe, especially if you have a high
profile position or work in a field that may expose you to high-risk
individuals. Some women have more than one social networking account: one for
their professional/public lives and one that's restricted to personal concerns
and only involves family and close friends.
5.
How old
are you now? If you must share your birthday, never put down the year in
which you were born. Using the month and day are acceptable, but adding the
year provides an opportunity for identity theft.
6.
It's your
fault if it's default. Keep track of your privacy settings and check them
on a regular basis or at least monthly.
7.
Review
before posting. Make sure your privacy settings enable you to review
content where friends have tagged you before they appear publicly on your page.
8.
It's a
family affair. Make it clear to family members that the best way of
communicating with you is through private messaging or email -- not posting on
your page. Don't hesitate to delete something that is too personal for fear of
hurting Grandma's feelings -- just make sure you message her privately to
explain your actions, or better yet, call her on the phone.
9.
You play,
you pay...in loss of privacy. Online games, quizzes, and other
entertainment apps are fun, but they often pull information from your page and
post it without your knowledge.
10. How do I know you? Never accept a
friend request from someone you don't know. This may seem like a no-brainer,
but even when someone appears as a mutual friend of a friend or several friends,
think twice about accepting unless you can concretely identify who they are and
how they're connected to you.
Who knew that making friends on-line,
sharing, and what appear to be harmless games would lead to Internet
crimes. Social Networking has made us
vulnerable and more susceptible to being victims. Beware of how you spend your free time and
maybe all those hours in front of the computer or attached to your phone could
be used to get out and make “real” friends.
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