Tis the season to be Social Media Savvy! Implement data protection and protect everything you love.
- Marietta Bloomfield
- Dec 18, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 19, 2024
To ensure your safety during the holidays, consider flipping your mindset and adopting a more cautious approach, especially regarding social media and protecting your personal data. Step into the mindset of a criminal, stalker or hacker, always staying one step ahead and protecting yourself from potential threats.
The Significance of Data Protection in the Digital Era
Data holds immense value in today's digital landscape, especially biometric data. Our personal information and financial details are stored and transmitted online, making them susceptible to cyber threats.
While social media platforms and social networking have made sharing our lives easier, they also expose us to serious security risks. Every photo posted, person, or location tag is data, and all that data posted enables cybercriminals , hackers, stalkers or everyday thieves to profile you and predict your movements.
94% of online users are concerned about protecting their personal information on social media. This concern is justified as cybercrime rises, with data breaches becoming more frequent and sophisticated.
We need to think like a criminal and adopt the mindset of a hacker or criminal before posting anything on social media.
Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword
Social media has transformed the way we connect and communicate. However, it's vital to recognise that everything we post online isn't limited to our friends and family; it's accessible to anyone with internet access. This means potential thieves, hackers, stalkers and fraudsters can easily track our personal information, including location, activities, and daily routine.
That said, we can't live a digital-free life and go completely off the grid. Understanding data protection strategies and embracing data security, particularly while communicating on social media, is the first step in protecting yourself and your family.
Implement these five data protection strategies immediately to stay safe during the holidays.
1. Shielding Your Personal Information:
When utilising social media giants like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, exercise caution when divulging personal details. Be strategic in the information you share, refraining from posting sensitive data that could potentially jeopardise your security or your family.
Do a quick audit of your posts. Do you check in to venues on a regular basis? Do any of your photos or personal information show your home address, date of birth, and family details, including photos of your children's school, the names of your pets, and other personal examples that enable someone to start profiling you?
2. Keeping Your Holidays Plans Under Wraps:
We all know the feeling; you are looking forward to your holiday and have been counting down the days. You pass through customs, and you are relaxed and ready to go.
You purchase a glass of champagne, grab your device, and set up the perfect photo - a glass of bubbles sitting beside your boarding pass and perhaps a plane in the background. As you edit the picture and are about to post it to Facebook, Instagram or any other social media platform, DON'T!
Advertising your holiday plans to the world's population on social media is an immediate invitation to thieves that your home is unoccupied for an extended period of time. Covid has conditioned us all to work from home and consider what data protection strategies are in place. If your computer or device is stolen, does it have enhanced security features to protect data, personal information, and financial details? Where are your devices stored, are they locked away in a safe with your precious valuables? Most likely not.
Instead, selectively inform close friends and family members of your travel dates, ensuring you limit this information to those you trust implicitly.
3. Protect your Valuables!
The temptation to flaunt your new European luxury car, piece of exquisite jewellery, or your recent renovation project on social media is incredibly tempting, but before you post anything, DON'T!
Once again, you need to adopt the mindset of a hacker or criminal. Posting these images to social media is like offering a lollypop to a toddler. You are waving a big red flag stating look at me, look at my expensive car, house, and jewellery, and you immediately attract unwanted attention. The attention of a criminal scouring for their next target.
Safeguard your valuable assets by maintaining discretion and keeping them hidden from potential burglars.
4. Be Mindful of Check-Ins and Location Tags:
Check-ins and location tags may seem harmless to keep loved ones updated, but they can inadvertently divulge an alarming amount of information about your daily routine.
Think about the amount of data shared over social media. If it is anything like many of my feeds, you can easily build a profile of an individual. Each check-in, particularly if they are on a regular basis at a regular venue, shares an important piece of your personal data - your daily habits and routines. You have provided a gift to criminals or stalkers who can now pinpoint your whereabouts and daily habits.
Instead, use more encrypted methods to communicate with friends and family and share these personal details.
5. Harnessing the Power of Privacy Settings:
Never underestimate the significance of privacy settings in protecting your data and guarding your online presence. Take the time to familiarise yourself with your social media platform's privacy settings. By understanding who can view your posts and limiting access to only trusted individuals, you fortify the digital fortress around your personal information.
The dark side of social media is evolving fast; it is imperative to improve your digital security, be mindful of your privacy and protect your data. Implementing these tips before Christmas in the next few days will help secure your home, business, and data protection.
On that note, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. See you in 2024!
