New Media has revolutionized the world we lived in , making it possible for people all over the globe to connect instantly and be updated about world events. But with all this communication going on, is our personal information actually kept safe and secure?
Once you post a piece of information, it is nearly impossible to contain. Copying and pasting is one skill that everyone is sure to know, and so is Googling information.
Posting URLs of your personal blogs, email addresses and even telephone numbers are all great security risks and you might be a victim of identity theft.
But most people feel that it is harmless posting such information Social media such as Foursquare , allow the user to "check into" venues, such as banks. These information could not only divulge private information, but put you at risk of crimes.
This is a very real risk rampant online nowadays, mostly harming teenagers who have a very active social and virtual life. Yet that does not mean that adults are not at risk of their personal information being exposed.
Eg.
In South Korea, netizens are in the frontline of investigations.
5 students from a cyber-security school were given a female celebrity's name, age and internet ID.
With just these pieces of information, the students managed to uncover shocking details.
All done without any illegal hacking software.
This phenomenon is known Netizen Crime Scene Investigations (NCSI)
For more information please visit : http://www.allkpop.com/2010/11/the-netizen-crime-scene-investigation-phenomenon
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So how do you protect yourself?
1. NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR IDENTITY NUMBER
No social networking website would require your identity number for registration.
2. INVEST IN A GOOD ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMME
Sites such as Twitter and Facebook ever had cases of sending out viruses and Trojans to log keystrokes from third party companies.
These are the basics steps that everyone can take in preventing anything from happening to your online persona.
Perhaps it's time we started to put more thinking into what we post online?
What are some of the steps you take to protect yourself online?
