8 Facebook Safety and Security Tips for Teens!

-
While most of us are used to using Facebook and social media networks, a lot of teens are just starting out and exploring the online work.

Related image

Unfortunately, there are many bad guys online, especially on social media platforms such as Facebook, who are there to take advantage of new or naïve members.

Use these safety and security tips and share them with your teen to ensure everyone has a safer experience.

Never register for Facebook if you’re under the age of 13. Some teens want an account when they’re only 11 or 12 – not even a teen yet! However, Facebook specifically forbids anyone younger than 13 from registering.

Avoid using your real first and middle name. Facebook does not allow fake names, but you can use your nickname as your first or middle name. This will keep online criminals and potential predators from obtaining more information about you.

Set strong privacy settings. Not just anyone should be able to see your profile as well as your content and photos. And while you may want to be a social butterfly, it is best to only make your details available to friends and family.

Do not post any contact information. Never use your personal email or cell phone number on your Facebook profile. Facebook spammers and hackers can use this private information to spam or torment you. The less you expose online, the better.

Related image

Never post your location. Criminals and predators use social media too! And they can use your location to track you down or figure out that you’re not home. Switch off your geotagging and save your holiday pictures to be posted when you’re at home.

Always report abusive posts and harassment. If you’ve ever felt threatened or someone is harassing you with unwanted messages or posts, report it by clicking “report abuse.” Should you feel that you are still getting harassed, feel free to contact our OSINT (open-source intelligence) department on 021 110 0422 | contact@osint.co.za and we will do what we can to assist you!

Create a strong password and keep it a secret. If your password is too simple and you use it for all your accounts it can be easy for cybercriminals to gain access to your account. Always make sure to choose a complex, unique password and always log out completely when you’re done!

Keep a lookout for scams. Not all people on Facebook are there to make friends and post fun pictures. A lot of Facebook apps are made by bad people to access your profile, opening you up to spam or worse. Always be cautious of Facebook scams, including scams on Facebook Marketplace.


Has your account been hacked? Report it to us immediately! Do not be embarrassed, it is vital that you report that you have been hacked or scammed on Facebook. Contact our OSINT department on 021 110 0422 | contact@osint.co.za

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Phishing, Smishing and Vishing!

-
Image
Letting your guard down can lead to serious consequences, especially when it comes to fraud through your emails, SMS’s and even telephone calls. Phishing, smishing, and vishing are some of the many ways that criminals may try to defraud you… Here’s what you need to know about phishing, smishing, and vishing! Phishing: This is a scam that takes place through emails. A typical attack will occur when you receive an email that looks real, either appearing to be sent from your bank or other financial institution.  Most of the time the email will ask you to click on a link or update your private account information. Even though these emails may look legitimate, they are simply trying to scare you into clicking a link that will lead to a legitimate-looking website – but it isn’t! They will try and scare you into clicking links by saying, “your account has been blocked.” or “you need to install this new software to stay protected.” If you fall for this fake email, yo...
Read more

The 4 most popular Spam Scams!

-
Image
If you have any sort of common sense you would know that there isn’t a prince or member of a royal African family that wants to send you their millions with no strings attached! However, even though this sort of scam has been ongoing for many years, the overall principals of a spam scam are still going strong and continue to grow and become more malicious each and every day. These are 4 of the most popular spam scams that like to pretend to come from an actual legitimate source, often tricking unknowing people into clicking on links and opening dangerous attachments. Fake password changes One of the most common scams is the password change alert or confirmation email that users will receive either from their bank, social media network or another trusted source. The scammers will trick the users into thinking their accounts have been hacked and urge them to click on a link or open a malicious attachment to reset their password. False bookings These scams ap...
Read more

Social Media Safety - Twitter

-
Image
Whether you tweet once a day or constantly tweet updates throughout the day, you need to remember that if you’re using Twitter you need to be aware of the security and privacy risks. Here are five important safety tips to remember when you’re using Twitter. -- Never share personal information It is best to keep all your private information such as your phone number, address and email address, out of your Twitter profile! Geotagging is an optional feature that is able to make your exact location public, it is also best to switch off this setting too. -- Update your password Hackers can easily gain access to your account if you have used a weak, easily guessable password. Use a strong password and change it every few weeks for maximum security. Make sure to include uppercase and lower case letters, numbers and special characters in your passwords every time. -- Never click on suspicious links Often hackers will try a phishing attack on you through your ...
Read more