Social Media
The personal information shared on social networking platforms can be easily sourced and used by malicious actors attempting to exploit or impersonate others.
If an individual had your email address and could gain enough information from your social media to make an educated guess on your password, they may be able to hack into your accounts…
…e.g., phone number, date of birth, loved one's names, favourite band or food type, etc.
If you share sensitive information with friends or family on social media in private messages, they could be an easier target to hack and access the correspondents between you.
Individuals could also use information such as check-ins, to track the places you frequent and gain access to you. So, please be mindful of what people may be able to see when accepting friend requests.
That is why it is important to keep privacy settings strict and avoid these types of sensitive conversations, e.g., bank or login details, via social media.
It will be particularly important to remember this guidance when beginning working in a placement or in your chosen field after university, as working for a company or organisation could increase your chances of being a hacking target.
To have a look at some of the different scams out there, or to see how you can report scams, click the buttons below...
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Social media advice from your College or University...
