Things you can do to ensure safer social networking

Although, social media is the most fascinating invention of the new era of technology but it has also opened many gates for online threats that target information and privacy of PC and mobile device users day in and day out. Online miscreants use social media networks as the nails and grip to catch hold of vulnerable users in a bid to steal vital and important information, personal details, photos and videos. So every one of us who is using social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkeIn etc is running with a huge risk of privacy and security.

This article is all about educating those vulnerable social media users on how they can ensure safer social networking. So go through the entire article and learn the tips using which you can deal with these intensive threats unleashed by social media networks.

1. Try to keep your Facebook profile private

Since Facebook accounts are targeted most by the miscreants it becomes important for you to keep it private by allowing access to only those who you know well. You can change the visibility status by clicking the blue gear appearing in the top-right corner of the Facebook website and then selecting Privacy settings. From here, you can make it difficult for strangers to access your profile by blocking search engines. You can also limit the access of your account by using the e-mail address and phone number which you have given to Facebook at the time of registration.

2. Stop posting in public

We have earned a tendency of posting in public which means everyone on Facebook can see your postings without any security restrictions. But you need to restrict this habit and try not to post everything for public. This you can do by using the 'Who can see my stuff?' section of the Privacy Settings menu. Make sure that you have chosen 'Friends' among the provided menu options. Using this feature, you can mitigate the quantum of damage as only your friends will be able to access those posts which you update on your Facebook account. Furthermore, if you tag anyone to a particular content or posting then the posting will be shown on the timeline of the tagged person and it will further depend on the privacy settings of that person.

3. Keep your Twitter clean

Since Twitter is a bare communication service that is helpful in exchanging photos, videos, and short text messages it doesn’t give users many opportunities to share data inadvertently. But as you carry huge amount of data in your feed, you need to be cautious about the privacy leaks which may happen if due care is not taken.

4. Avoid linking Twitter to Facebook

You should always ignore linking your Twitter account to Facebook or any other social media website. It jeopardizes your Twitter account credentials as the username might be shown as pop up in your Facebook timeline. Once it is shown at the Facebook timeline it can be mixed with the information on your Facebook account such as your name, location, or employment history. Moreover, it becomes annoying for your Facebook contacts as well.

5. Turn off geotagging

The second precaution for the Twitter users to ensure privacy and security is to turn off the geotagging feature. This is important because you shouldn’t ideally include your location in your every update. However, this is an attractive feature that keeps track of the geographical location from where you twitted but at times it can be misused by miscreants as it lets them know about your physical movements.

Above discussed are the five important tips that help you ensure the privacy and security of your social media accounts. If you follow these tips in appropriate manner you will be successfully able to protect valuable private and vital information which you post online across various social media networks.

About the Author: Hi! I am Brook M. Perry, a prolific blog writer and keen author of articles related to pc tuneup and solution for issues related to computers and mobile devices. Being associated with the reputed best pc tuneup service provider Qresolve, I have resolved thousands of tech issues for our customers from worldwide. Computer online tech support My areas of interest are PC security, endpoint security system, router support etc. You can follow me for my useful online pc support articles on Ezine and other article-oriented websites.

Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve computer security, with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.