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07/27/2010
 Facebook Safety: Wakingup with a Social Media Hangover
By John Sileo
www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com
Facebook safety has a directcorrelation to your business's bottom line. Facebook, and social mediasites in general, are in an awkward stage between infancy and adulthood- mature in some ways, helpless in others. On the darker side of siteslike Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, scammers and identity thieves aredrooling at the sight of this unchecked data playground. In contrast,most social networkers are myopically intoxicated with all thefriendships they are creating and renewing.
There is no denying that Facebook and other social media sites have avery luring appeal. You can sit in the comfort of your own homeand suddenly have a thriving social life. You can look up oldfriends, make new ones, build business relationships and create aprofile for yourself that highlights only your talents and adventureswhile conveniently leaving out all your flaws and troubles. It iseasy to see why Facebook has acquired over 200 million users worldwidein just over five years. Which is why Facebook safety is still soimmature: Facebook's interface and functionality has grown faster thansecurity can keep up.
Unfortunately, most people dive head first into this world of socialconnectedness without thinking through the ramifications of all thepersonal information that is now traveling at warp speed throughcyberspace. It's like being served a delicious new drink at aparty, one that you can't possibly resist because it is so fun andtempting and EVERYONE is having one. The downside? Nobody isthinking about the information hangover that comes fromover-indulgence: what you put on theInternet STAYS on the internet, forever. And sometimes it showsup on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, in the hands of aprospective employer or your boss's inbox. All of the personalinformation that is being posted on profiles -- names, birthdates,kids' names, photographs, pet's names (and other password reminders),addresses, opinions on your company, your friends and your enemies, allof it serves as a one-stop shop for identity thieves. It's allright there in one neat little package and all a scammer has to do toaccess it is become your 'friend .
Recently my friend, who was an avid Facebook user, gave it up. Hehad acquired 2,000 friends and he just couldn't manage itanymore. Of course, I'm thinking, "Two thousand friends?" How do you come to personally know two thousand people over the courseof 40 years on earth? The answer is easy: he didn't knowthem all. People accept "friend" invitations all the time frompeople they don't actually know. Who doesn't like people seekingout their friendship? But consider this: there is an increasinglikelihood that the "friends" you don't know might also be con artistswho are simply trying to access your information. Every time you allowa stranger into your profile, picture yourself with a morning-afterhangover. Follow the Five Facebook Safety Tips and save yourselfthe trouble.
5 Facebook Safety Tips
1.If they're not your friend, don'tpretend. Don't accept friend requests unless you absolutely knowwho they are and that you would associate with them in person, justlike real friends.
2. Post only what you want made public.Be cautious about the personal information that you post on any socialmedia site, as there is every chance in the world that it willpropagate. It may be fun to think that an old flame can contactyou, but now scammers and thieves are clambering to access thatpersonal information as well.
3. Manage your privacy settings. Sixty percent of social networkers are unaware of their default privacysettings (how Facebook sets them for you). The simple task of settingthem to your standards can reduce your risk of identity theftdramatically. Take a few minutes and lock down your profiles byvisiting the privacy tab of your account settings. Understand what partof your profile is visible to friends and non-friends alike.
4. Keep Google Out. Unless you want allof your personal information indexed by Google and other searchengines, restrict your profile so that it is not visible to thesedata-mining experts.
5. Don't respond to Friends in Distress.If you receive a post requesting money to help a friend out, do thesmart thing and call them in person. Friend in Distress schemes arewhen a thief takes over someone else's account and then makes a pleafor financial help to all of yourfriends (who think that the post is coming from you).
Following these 5 Facebook Safety tips is a great way to prevent aninformation-sharing hangover.
About the author: John Sileobecame America's leading Identity Theft Speaker amp;Expert after he lost his business and more than $300,000 toidentity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department ofDefense, Pfizer and the FDIC. To further bulletproof yourself and yourbusiness, visit John's blog at Sileo.com. To book John atyour next event, visit www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com. Permissiongranted foruse onDrLaura.com
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