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Social Networking And Safety
Chris Crum
Staff Writer
2006-10-04
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
October is National Cyber Awareness month, and who better than CA and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) to give us some helpful info to stay safe online...
The two announced results of a study on social networking, and its link to cyber-crime. The following stats were proclaimed the highlights of the survey:- Although 57 percent of people who use social networking sites admit to worrying about becoming a victim of cyber-crime, they are still divulging information that may put them at risk. For example 74 percent have given out some sort of personal information, such as their e-mail address, name and birthday.
- 83 percent of adults social networking are downloading unknown files from other people's profiles potentially opening up their PCs to attacks.
- 51 percent of parents aware of their children social networking do not restrict their children's profiles so only friends can view, leaving their child's profiles unrestricted to potential predators.
- Furthermore, 36 percent of these parents surveyed do not monitor their children on social networking sites at all. Many people believe that social networking is practiced by mostly teens, but the survey reveals, that nearly half of those social networking are in fact adults, with half of the adults being over 35.
When you talk about adults social networking, you have to start thinking about safety of financial information, which may not be as great of a concern when it comes to kids, where the primary safety concern is of the kids themselves.
The NCSA suggests the following points to maintain online safety:- Guard your financial and other sensitive information. Never provide or post your Social Security number, birth date, address, phone number, bank account or credit card numbers, or other personal information that could be used by criminals.
- Picture social networking sites as billboards in cyberspace. Police, college admissions personnel, employers, stalkers, con artists, nosy neighbors -- anyone can see what you post.
- Be cautious about meeting your new cyber friends in person. After all, it's hard to judge people by photos or information they post about themselves.
- Think twice before clicking on links or downloading attachments in emails. They may contain viruses or spyware that could damage your computer or steal your personal information-including your online passwords and account numbers.
- Protect your computer. Use a spam filter, anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and firewall.
- Beware of con artists. Criminals scan social networking sites to find potential victims for all sorts of scams, from phony lotteries to bogus employment and business opportunities to investment fraud. "As social networking use continues to increase in popularity, it is imperative that people take steps to safeguard their information at home and at work," says CA senior vice president of Product Development, David Luft.
"Not only is it important to install and frequently update firewalls, anti-spyware and anti-virus software, users must be aware of the specific unsafe behaviors which make them vulnerable to online predators, hackers and thieves," added Luft.
The social networking survey can be viewed in its entirety at StaySafeOnline.org.
Tag: Social Networking
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About the Author:
Chris Crum is a staff writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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