Navigating Social Media Privacy Settings for Cyber Security Awareness

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. With COVID-19 limiting most in-person activities we’re used to, people have been living their lives more and more online; whether its shopping, or working, or learning, or being social. As such, cyber security has never been more important than it is right now. Internet fraud has been prevalent since we first touched fingers to keyboard, and most savvy users know how to spot a fake. But what about those who have just recently explored the world wide web? For a quick and thorough rundown of how to avoid internet fraud, check out our Stay Safe Online for Cyber Security Awareness blog post. We provide tips on how to protect yourself and what to do when you suspect you’re a victim of internet fraud.

With COVID-19 forcing most people to stay indoors for the better part of a year now, social media has become essential for staying in touch with friends near and far. It’s so important to keep your information safe and private, allowing only close friends into your inner circle. Keep in mind, anything you put on the internet is available somewhere for people to see. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. So, the best way to protect yourself is to be very picky about what you post online. Additionally, there are other things you can do to help protect yourself on social media. This being altering your privacy settings. For most social media accounts, you can set your privacy settings very low, so anyone can find and see what you post; or you can set them in the middle, so only your friends can see; or you can set them very high, so only you can see. The way you protect your information is completely up to you. If a social media account doesn’t allow you to alter your privacy settings, consider choosing a different outlet.

Let’s try it out. The image below shows a typical social media account’s privacy settings. How would you set each aspect of your identity online?

How do you feel about your choices? Are you not sure about what you want to do? You could always go through the social media account’s support center. People can help you navigate the website and how to best set your privacy settings to fit your needs. The Internet has been a useful tool to help keep us all connected during these COVID-19 times; it’s important to be aware of your activity and keep yourself safe.

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