Online, there are two kinds of people: Those who are free, love to share, and didn’t think twice about using their real name, and those who are very secretive, and do their best to keep all aspects about themselves private. The latter avoid having any social medias and would even invest in tools such as VPNs and Proxys to avoid having their internet traffic tracked or monitored.
Although living to that extreme isn’t necessary (if you have no reason for anyone to come find you anyways), they are in the right state of mind when it comes to personal privacy, security, and even safety.
You may see no harm in using your real name, sharing pictures of your pet, participating in online debates and discussions, checking in on Facebook, and letting others know how your day is going, these can potentially become a problem in one of the following ways:
Easier For Hackers
Hackers work in multiple ways. If a hacker was particularly interested in you, they will do their research and find clues that could help them gain access to your social media accounts, emails, clouds, and more. The majority of people use easy passwords, and the majority also use the same password for multiple accounts. Even if you were smart enough to not use a password such as ‘12345678’ or ‘batman’, a lot of people tend to use their birthdays, names of someone close to them, a character from their favourite show and so on as their password. Even if you didn’t use it as your password, chances are, your security questions may also have answers that are easy to find by looking through your social medias such as your elementary school or first pet.
Easier For Scammers
Outside of hackers, another online party one must be aware about are online scammers. Instead of sending you a general email pretending to be your bank or the government, a scammer who was particularly interested in you may write a phishing email directed, or make an online profile and become your knight in shining armour. By looking through your social medias, they can figure out what you are interested in, places you frequent, names of your bosses, and so on, and use that personal information to target you in other ways.
Easier For Stalkers
There is nothing scarier than having someone stalk you. Thankfully, I wouldn’t know, but I have heard many stories that have been quite traumatizing for the victim. Whether the stalker is an ex or a stranger who has gained a special interest through your online profiles, not only can they stalk you online, but they can use your IP, check-ins, and other updates to follow you in person. It is always recommend to post your stories or updates after the matter if you are worried about this. And avoid posting pictures that reveal too much about the neighbourhood or house you live in.
Easier For Impersonators
It only makes sense that people copy accounts that have a lot of information on them, as the person can study their target and become more convincing to their friends and family. There have been impersonators who has done all they can to make their Facebook or Instagram look the same as their target, and continue for years pretending to be this person. There are also romance scammers who, for example, may steal pictures from a man in the military, and make up convincing stories to trick innocent victims into falling for them and later giving them money. The less you reveal, the easier it is for someone who may know you personally to tell that that person is an impersonator. Avoid scenarios like those TV shows where there is a copy and the best friend isn’t even sure who the right one is.
Easier For Haters
Time and time again, big Influencers, Youtubers and Celebrities were brought down by something they posted years in the past. It’s very easy to forgot what you wrote last year, let alone when you were a teenage. Some things we say as a joke. Some things we assumed would be kept private. For topics like LGBT, many people have changed their opinions and stopped saying certain words as society evolved to accept this community, but your previous topic is still around online for those who dig.
As the saying goes, once on the internet, it’s there forever. All of this to say that you should always think twice before posting. It’s okay to share! What makes the internet amazing is that we can all contribute a part to it, share our opinions, and keep up to date with our friends. But please avoid providing personal details, intentionally or unintentionally, and maybe keep some things between you and friends instead of posting publicly for the world to see.
If you’re every curious about what is really out there for anyone to see and learn about you, purchase one of my digital background check packages. Take preventative measures, and see what you should remove or delete before someone takes advantage.
