When you read about yet another cyberattack, do you ever wonder if your account is safe? And when a business becomes the victim of ransomware, do you worry that maybe your company is next?
For years we’ve been told that to compete in today’s marketplace, you must have a social media account. Yet, every time you join a social media platform, you’re opening a large digital window through which criminals can enter and your data can exit.
Fortunately, there’s a way to use social media correctly to protect your data and your business. So, let’s look at the dangers social media use presents and some basic tactics that can minimize the risk of security breaches.
Not Updating Settings
Review the default settings of the social media platform you’re using. Chances are, the factory settings won’t be sufficient. Leaving them as-is poses a greater risk of security breaches because the default settings are what hackers initially target.
Social media sites routinely make updates to their security. Unfortunately, this too often occurs chiefly in response to a security failure. And companies don’t always inform you immediately that there’s been an intrusion on user privacy.
The site may not inform you even when it beefs up its security. And the update may have changed your personal settings. So, reviewing your settings is mandatory to ensure you receive the level of protection you think you’re getting.
Leaving a Trail Across the Internet
Any information is of potential interest to thieves. Data that most people consider innocent, such as an email address, can give criminals a starting point on their way to trying to extract additional details.
A trail of data across social media platforms helps the bad guys piece together a digital portrait of their target. Knowing a person’s educational background, hobbies, and family life makes it easier to construct a scam that’s tailor-made for that person.
Do you like having your material reposted by admirers of your content? Every connection you have with someone else also helps paint a picture of who you are.
Criminals analyzing you will be able to get an accurate idea of your beliefs and values from those who follow you. That makes you more vulnerable to their attacks as well.
Oversharing Private Information
The proliferation of social media outlets has lulled people into complacency regarding social media privacy issues. People share far more information about their personal and family lives than is prudent.
By the time some people are old enough to apply for their first serious job, they’ve spent most of their young lives on social media. As a result, they’ve left years of demographic data points for criminals to connect.
It’s not difficult for criminals to create social media accounts that look like legitimate business concerns. They can then use these fake accounts to communicate with employees of your firm, harvesting additional details about your business.
Get Help Against Security Breaches
You want your potential clients to be able to have full access to your content, including videos. And you want to allow your employees to visit social media sites. But the trade-off is the more freedom you permit, the more open you leave your account to data hacks.
However, you don’t have to scale down your business in the name of safety. Instead, choose a reliable team of cybersecurity experts with a history of fighting security breaches.
We have offices near you in Kennett Square, Media, and Wayne. Contact us, and let’s discuss how we can make your social media users much safer.
Pegasus Technologies is the IT Team for organizations that don’t need a full-time IT department. Our technology experts build you a technology plan to keep your business running at its best. We have offices in Kennett Square, PA, Media, PA, and Wayne, PA to provide better computer support and IT services to you.
