Make Cybersecurity a Priority To Safely Navigate Social Media

Someone once said, “Passwords are like underwear; change them often, don’t share them, and don’t leave them out for others to see”……meaning, if you write it down, don’t leave it in plain view on a post-it note. Better yet, use a secure password management tool.

As we find more ways to socialize online, be mindful that with every social media account you sign up for, every picture posted and status updated, you are sharing information with the world — and hackers who want to gain access to your social media accounts.

So, why would a hacker want your account when it’s filled with photos of your dog or recent community events? First and foremost, it’s a legitimate account. Social media platforms delete billions of fake accounts every year. Bad guys steal real accounts, like yours, and sell them on the black market where buyers can use them to spread propaganda or to extort and scam money from unsuspecting victims. Victims who may be in your social media friends list.

Use these simple cybersecurity rules to protect yourself and others, and to confidently and safely navigate social media:

• Use separate and complex passwords for each social media platform, and all online accounts. Change these passwords often as hackers buy and sell stolen password lists on the dark web.
• Make sure you understand the account password recovery and reset services. If a hacker gains access to your account, one of the first things they’ll attempt to do is reset the password. If the platform offers some form of multi-factored authentication, such as a text message approval, use it wherever possible.
• Be leery of private messages, even if sent from a colleague or friend. Follow the adage of trust through verification. Call or text the person to verify it’s them contacting you. Use the phone number from your contacts list and not the one provided in the message.
• Don’t overshare information. Hackers can utilize information you post on social media platforms in complex social engineering attacks against you.

As more and more people are working from home or sending and receiving emails from their personal devices, the further we open ourselves to increased risk at work. Hackers often use attacks against a single employee as a means to gain access to an entire organization. Don’t be that pathway for the attackers. Make cybersecurity a priority today.

If you do become a victim, contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to report the online crime.

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(Partially reprinted from Shazam Blog)