Safe Social Networking and Blogging
The explosion of social networking websites and tools has provided people with great opportunity to connect and share interests; however, it is also exposing people to a greater level of risk. This guide describes the dangers you face as a user of these websites, and provides a number of tips on the safe use of social networking and blogging services. We have also created a brochure that provides basic information on social networking.
What is Social Networking?
Dangers of Social Networking
Protecting Your Information - Safe Practices
What is Social Networking?
Social networking websites provide people with web space which they can customize with text, personal photos, videos and music, hyperlinks, etc. Other people can then view that person's page, browse the content, and leave comments.
People can find one another based on name or other contact information, through mutual interests, or through mutual friends (your list of friends is typically visible to others). The opportunities for networking are endless.
What Are Blogs?
Blogs are like social networks without the profile pages. Bloggers have web space where they can post their own comments, photos, videos, hyperlinks, etc. Other people can access the blog and subscribe for notification of new posts. Many blogs are just personal journals; however, many in the fields of science, business, education, and journalism have begun to keep blogs. More information about blogs can be found here.
Types of Social Networking Sites
While many of these sites are just general social networking sites (e.g. MySpace, Facebook), some sites host communities with specific themes. These include education, politics, romance, business, hobbies, or other interests. There is even a social networking site for dog owners.
Who Uses Social Networking Sites?
All sorts of different people use these sites. The following is a short list of users you'll probably become most familiar with:
Students
Although Facebook is now open to everyone, it initially started a website just for college students. College and high school students (and alumni) account for the highest percentage of social network users.
Businesses
There is a reason it's referred to as social networking. By itself, networking is a business term referring to the process of meeting and exchanging information and opportunities with various new business contacts, often through mutual friends. The website LinkedIn.com is an example of a site designed solely for the purpose of business networking.
RIT
There are several organizations at RIT with Facebook pages, including Information Security, Co-op and Career Services, and NTID. The Wallace Library has even created a Facebook application that allows you to browse their catalog right from Facebook. Many professors and staff members also have Facebook pages.
Dangers of Social Networking
While these sites appear to be harmless and superficial, people have begun exploiting them for unintended purposes. Many computer criminals uses these sites to distribute viruses and malware, to find private information people have posted publicly, and to find targets for phishing/social engineering schemes. Below is a short list of users who may be using the same sites as you:
Identity Thieves
Online criminals only need a few pieces of information to gain access to your financial resources. As these sites continue to grow, they also become larger targets. Phone numbers, addresses, names, and other personal information can be harvested easily from social networking sites and used for identity theft. The large numbers of people that use these sites also attract many online scammers.
Online Predators
Are your friends interested in seeing your class schedule online? Well, sex offenders or other criminals could be as well. Knowing your schedule and your whereabouts can make it very easy for someone to victimize you, whether it be breaking in while you're gone, or attacking you while you're out. Don't make it easy for the Facebook Stalker to find you!
Employers
More and more employers are beginning to investigate applicants and current employees through social networking sites and/or search engines. What you post online may put you in a negative light to prospective or current employers, especially if your profile picture features you doing something questionable or stupid.
Protecting Your Information - Safe Practices
Keeping your information out of the wrong hands can be fairly easy if you adopt a cautious attitude. Here are some tips to make sure your private information stays private.
Don't Post Personal Information Online!
It's the easiest way to keep your information private. Don't post your full birth date, your address, phone numbers, etc. Don't hesitate to ask friends to remove embarrassing or sensitive information about you from their posts either.
Use Built-In Privacy Settings
Most social networking sites offer various ways in which you can restrict public access to your profile, such only allowing your "friends" to view your profile. Of course, this only works if you only allow a few people to see your postings-if you have 10,000 "friends" your privacy won't be very well protected. Your best bet is to disable all the extra options, and re-enable only the ones you know you'll use. Sophos provides Recommended Facebook Privacy Settings. These best practices can be applied to any social networking or blogging website.
Be wary of others
Recent research by Sophos found that 41% of Facebook users were willing to befriend a plastic green frog named Freddi Staur (an anagram of ID Fraudster), subsequently revealing their personal information. Most sites do not have a rigorous process to verify identity of members so always be cautious when dealing with unfamiliar people online.
Search for yourself
Find out what information other people have easy access to. Put your name into Google (make sure to use quotes around your name). Try searching for your nicknames, phone numbers, and addresses as well-you might be surprised at what you find. Many blogging sites have instructions on how to exclude your posts from appearing in search engine results using something called a "robots text file." More information can be found here.
What Happens on the Web, Stays on the Web
Before posting anything online, remember the maxim "what happens on the web, stays on the web." Information on the Internet is public and available for anyone to see, and security is never perfect. With browser caching and server backups, there is a good chance that what you post will circulate on the web for years to come. So be safe and think twice about anything you post online.
Find out more about how information security affects you by becoming a Fan of the RIT Information Security Facebook page and joining our Digital Self Defense Facebook Group. Follow us on Twitter for updates on current security threats.
