Cyber Security Awareness Month is held annually in October. AARS wants to provide tips on how to keep yourself safe online.
Privacy Settings
Every social media platform you frequent will have privacy settings. The options are generally not set at the highest level of security. It is always up to you to edit your preferences. Your privacy settings are the first line of cyber security defense.
Of course, keeping your privacy settings at the highest of security is always the safest. But with that, you may be cutting off messages from your friends and family, not just strangers. So, what do you do?
Your reason for using the chosen platform will depend on how much security you want or need. For example, business owners rely on customers to reach out. Therefore, their settings are lower security, where anyone can contact and see posts. Most of us, however, utilize social media platforms to connect with our loved ones.
Who Can See What?
Allowing only those on their friends or followers lists to see posts is a safer option for account holders. Keeping an account public lets everyone online see your everyday posts, family pictures, etc. Believe it or not, this is an excellent tactic for scammers to collect the data they need to earn your trust. Rarely, if ever, do we think the posted information will be a tool to hurt us. Scammers pick up on your interests, family, religious beliefs, and anything they can use to form a bond.
Review your privacy settings before you go live on a new platform or log back into your established social media accounts. Think about how important it is to you for anyone outside of your contacts to see your personal information. Once you’ve made yourself platform safe, remember never to give anyone you’ve never met in person your personal information. This includes photos, passwords, or any form of currency.
Cyber Security Includes Stranger Awareness
Remember that catchy term “stranger danger”? How about when our parents would tell us not to talk to strangers, or we would tell our kids? There’s truth to that, and now even more so on unregulated platforms. You heard me right, unregulated. Social Media platforms are self-regulated, which means they have no LEGAL obligation to keep their users safe! Of course, if they do choose to do all they can, their reputation on trust would soar! But it’s not about the customer’s trust; it’s about the money. It is always about the money.
So, what’s the safest thing we can do to keep ourselves safe from strangers online? There are two essential suggestions:
- Don’t accept their friend request
- Don’t respond to a message they send
Nope, Not Today
There’s nothing more frightening than thinking a stranger has all your personal information, and there is nothing you can do. Scammers are known to be blunt and ask you for your information; some find other ways to trick you into sharing. Scammers tend to include fake documents or forms to fill out that coincide with their stories. For example, a scammer portraying a military member will say they need the victim to fill out a form requesting permission for leave or vacation. Or, in order to send a package with personal belongings or money, fill out a form for insurance purposes.
On the forms, questions are asked that can help the scammer open bank accounts. They can apply for credit cards, build additional social media profiles for scamming, and more. What is mind-blowing is that the scammers will also go on to sell your personal information to other scammers! Many of these transactions are done via social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
If you have filled out a form from a scammer, make sure you make your bank and credit bureaus aware. You want to avoid being denied due to fraudulent activity under your name. It’s scary, but these scammers do not care whom they affect. They have no problem ruining anything and everything you worked hard for in life, such as your credit and reputation.
Cyber Security Awareness Month Ends
Every year, this month of awareness ends. However, the security aspect of Cyber Security Month should never end.
Not conversing with someone you do not know in person will keep you from being scammed online. Words like terms of endearment, promises, and “secrets” always pull at the heartstrings. They can make a person think they are gaining trust with someone. Scammers are experts in verbal manipulation. Before someone knows it, they’ve caught feelings; they start to believe the scammer over their friends and family. And they have entered into a state of mind that not even their children or closest loved ones can remedy.
To sum up, let’s entrust our parents’ advice from years prior and not talk to strangers. We may be adults, but temptations will forever exist, and romance scammers depend on our engagement. If you are speaking with someone online and you’ve never met them in person, never share your personal information.
Cyber Security Awareness Month
Every year, this month of awareness ends. However, the security aspect of Cyber Security Month should never end.
Not conversing with someone you do not know in person will keep you from being scammed online. Words like terms of endearment, promises, and “secrets,” etc. are always to pull at your heartstrings and make you think you are gaining trust with someone. Scammers are experts in verbal manipulation. Before someone knows it, they’ve caught feelings, they start to believe the scammer over their friends and family, and they have entered into a state of mind that not even their children or closest loved ones can remedy.
To sum up, let’s entrust our parents’ advice from years prior and not talk to strangers. We may be adults, but temptations will forever exist, and romance scammers depend on our engagement. Always remember: If you are talking with someone online and you’ve never met them in person, never share your personal information.
