Are You Giving Out Too Much Info Online?

We live in the digital age, using our smartphones for nearly everything we do from grocery shopping to banking. We don’t just take care of business online, we share our lives online through social media as well.

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I'm guilty of it myself, posting my first Alabama game photos when I was a student at UA and “checking in” at different bars and restaurants on the Strip. Social media platforms let us post pictures, load videos and even “go live” from wherever we are at the time.

Believe it or not, the National Security Agency (NSA) says posting too much personal information could invite harm - let me explain.

Say you decide to post pictures while still on vacation, this would make anyone who sees your post aware that you are not home. Potentially making your home a target for a burglary.

We all love to post about a great new job. But, here's the problem, scammers can use that information as part of a tactic to get other personal information. Some new hires see a high number of phishing emails because of this.

What is a Phishing Email?

A phishing email is a fraudulent one that is made to look like a legitimate message from an employer. They usually will ask victims to “verify” personal information, which is usually a social security number or other sensitive information.

What Can I Do to Protect Myself?

The NSA says there are a few things you can do to help protect privacy and keep potential predators from having access to information:

• Turn location settings off - many apps track location even when they are not in use.
• Be aware of who sends you a friend request. Predators will send requests from what appears to be a friend, in hopes of getting victims to share personal information.
• Secure the strength of all passwords and login credentials - use authenticators whenever possible.

Find these and more social media posting tips here, courtesy of an NSA press release.