I think at this point, everyone has some type of social media account. Whether it be Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc, it seems to fit into the social media world we live in. Even businesses like Tier3MD have social media accounts, and use them to talk to our clients, meet new clients, and provide tips and tricks for computer users.
Social Media
Social media is fun, but it can also be dangerous. It is really amazing what information you can find out there. Let’s do a little experiment. Google yourself. Look to see what it out there. Look on your facebook pages, white pages, twitter, etc., and take a good look at how much information you have out there for people to see. Do you post your vacation pictures? Check in at restaurants? Check in at movies and concerts? This tells people you’re not home. Do you post pictures of your children, dogs, friends? Do you talk about your work, your hobbies, your likes and dislikes? Just think for a minute at how much information about you is really out there. It’s alarming. This past year I have been tracing my Ancestry. Facebook was very kind to me in providing information. I was able to see people’s pictures, where they live, where they work, where they are from, etc. This helped me determine if they were relatives or not. Of course, this was harmless, but there are people out there that can do very malicious things with that type of information. I even found addresses and phone numbers of possible relatives! Wow! Lots of personal data out there.
Now I am not saying to not enjoy your social media accounts, but what I will tell you is to protect them. They all have security and privacy settings. USE THEM! Go into your facebook, instagram, twitter accounts, etc, and adjust the settings to only allow people you know, or want to see that information. So many people leave this information out there.
Protect your social media accounts and be smart. Every once in a while, google yourself and your kids. Make sure you are not broadcasting information that can hurt you. Use the privacy setting and have fun!
Tier3MD is an IT support group for medical practices.
