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BY ADRIANA MUNOZ of ThreatBlog.org
Ever wanted to know how to avoid those pesky link-infested messages from that stranger stalker from across the globe? Sit tight and let us show you how.
Having an unprotected account will no longer leave you with absurd messages posted on your wall or shared with your friends; it can now infest you full of malware and leave you a victim of identity theft. Go on reading to find out how to keep your private things…well… private.
Facebook:
Since Facebook sees the most amount of phishing and malware attacks – and hacking a Facebook account has recently been branded Identity theft – you should probably be securing this account first.
Step 1. Click on Account > Privacy Preferences >Connecting on Facebook: View Settings
Now, it is up to you to define the level of privacy you want to set up, but we recommend that if you are already selective about your friend list, leave it all as “Friends Only”. Facebook also gives you the option to Customize your list just in case you really don’t want that certain someone snooping through your photo albums for example.
Step 2. Click on Account > Privacy Settings > Apps and Websites: Edit your settings
Most of the malware that has spread through the social networking site has been through third party apps. So click on edit settings and start editing and/or removing at your heart’s content!
Youtube:
Now that everyone and their grandmas have a video-recording cellphone or other device and all it takes is the touch of a button to upload it for millions to see, you need to set up Youtube privacy settings on your account to avoid having that college party video you uploaded from becoming viral.
There are various things you can do to control what you share on YouTube, we share with you our top 3:
Step 1. Click on your ID > Account Settings > Privacy
Once again, the level of privacy depends on the individual. We recommend that you mark the first box to limit the amount of people that can potentially spam you.
Step 2. Set your videos to unlisted. If you are shooting family videos or personal stuff, make sure you check this option when uploading them. Only the people you give the direct web url can access them.
Step 3. Control who comments, rates, and responses to your videos. To prevent nasty people from diluting your squeaky-clean YouTube image, adjust the video settings so that it lets you preview and approve what users have to say on your post.
Twitter:
What I love about Twitter is its simplicity. There are two main things you need to do and you are good to go.
Step 1. Go to your account settings and check “Protect my tweets”. Only people you previously approved will be able to see your tweets.
Step 2. On the same page, check “Always use HTTPS” – this will encrypt your account info.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn has the reputation of being the “safest” of the top 4. Even though it was recently criticized for using members’ names and photographs in its new ads, LinkedIn listened to its users and has now removed that feature.
Nonetheless, LinkedIn offers a variety of options to keep your sensitive information private: you can hide your profile from public view thus controlling who sees your feed, photos and tweets.
I encourage you to go through each one of your online profiles and change your privacy settings to a point where you are comfortable with what you are sharing. Your information is worth a lot of money to cybercriminals, don’t hand it to them in a silver platter.
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