How to Be Safe and Smart on the Internet
Be wary of giving out identifying information on the internet., Keep your location private.Do NOT give away your location to anyone you do not know online., Do not give out personal contact information online.This refers not only to your phone...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be wary of giving out identifying information on the internet.
Giving away personal information on the internet is like giving away your life.
When people are on social networks (Facebook, Myspace, etc.), they often don't realize when they're sharing too much information.
There are many ways in which oversharing your personal information can endanger you.
If you need to enter your name on an account, use a nickname or a fake name.
Alternately, you could use an incomplete form of your name.
For instance, if you need to enter your name on a form, enter "Eric P." instead of your full name, Eric Pillata.
Maximize your account privacy wherever possible.
Many sites and messenger services have varying levels of privacy.
For instance, you may have the option to share your name, date of birth, and where you go to school in addition to the content you post.
Hide this data from everyone except your immediate friends.
Explore your account settings to ensure that this information is kept confidential.
Don't post other unique identifying information like your Social Security Number, date of birth, and other data.
These are among the most important pieces of information about you, and with them in hand, hackers could easily steal your identity.
Don't use a picture of you as your profile picture on social networks.
Put a picture of something that you love instead.
For instance, if you love eating grapes, post a picture of grapes on your social media account or chat messenger service of choice.
If some malicious person were to discover your real picture, they might use it to locate and harm you.
If you are a minor, always ask your parents what personal information they want you to share online.
Do not overload a user with information, as that user can be hacked and then you sending messages makes you a sitting duck. -
Step 2: Keep your location private.Do NOT give away your location to anyone you do not know online.
This means you should not share your address or even the city you reside in.
Even the school you attend should remain a secret when chatting or posting online.
With just a few details about your location, an internet predator could pretend to be someone you know.
For instance, if you tell someone online you live in a certain town, and they know your age, they might be able to pose as someone you know or as someone who lives nearby in order to get you to share important info.
Be careful when posting photos of where you live.
A picture in front of your house or near your mailbox might include a partial or complete address which a predator might use to track you down.
Carefully examine all photos before posting them online. , If you make your contact information known to the general public, you might get threatening or abusive messages, or attract unwelcome attention.
Keep your accounts visible only to friends who you specifically selected for access.
If you have a website, keep your domain name registration private.
If you list your domain privately, instead of your personal contact info, the contact info of your domain registrar will show up for anyone conducting a domain ownership search., The most obvious example of this would be nude pictures or videos.But you could also end up in trouble by posting images, text, or video which celebrates or admits to drug use, racism, and violence.
Even if you send this content in confidence to a boyfriend or girlfriend, there’s no way of knowing what they’ll do with it.
If you break up, they might, for instance, post the images anonymously online in revenge.
Even if your social media accounts are private, people might repost your content in a public place where you’d rather it not be seen.
Once something is on the internet, it is virtually impossible to remove it.
Be smart and don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your mother (or a potential employer) to see.
If a friend posts something on their social media profile, blog, or website which you do not want online, ask them kindly to remove it.
If they do not remove it, attempt to force them to remove it by contacting their parents or guardian, or enlist aid of a third party to negotiate with them.
Be proactive in preventing compromising content from being posted online by telling people who take potentially compromising pictures of you, "Please do not post that online." If you are underage, check with your parents before posting anything online., If you are on a dating site or get a message from someone you don’t know who wants to meet, do not meet them unless you are comfortable doing so.
Do not give in to pressure from a stranger on the internet to give out your address or other contact info.
Remember, with the anonymity of the internet, anyone can claim anything about themselves.
If you do decide to meet someone from the internet, choose a public place like a restaurant or shopping mall to ensure they are who they claim they are.
If you are underage and want to meet up with a friend you've met online, check with your parent or guardian to ensure they know the situation. -
Step 3: Do not give out personal contact information online.This refers not only to your phone number and email
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Step 4: but your social media sites or instant-messaging services.
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Step 5: Think before posting compromising content.
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Step 6: Be wary of strangers who want to meet.
Detailed Guide
Giving away personal information on the internet is like giving away your life.
When people are on social networks (Facebook, Myspace, etc.), they often don't realize when they're sharing too much information.
There are many ways in which oversharing your personal information can endanger you.
If you need to enter your name on an account, use a nickname or a fake name.
Alternately, you could use an incomplete form of your name.
For instance, if you need to enter your name on a form, enter "Eric P." instead of your full name, Eric Pillata.
Maximize your account privacy wherever possible.
Many sites and messenger services have varying levels of privacy.
For instance, you may have the option to share your name, date of birth, and where you go to school in addition to the content you post.
Hide this data from everyone except your immediate friends.
Explore your account settings to ensure that this information is kept confidential.
Don't post other unique identifying information like your Social Security Number, date of birth, and other data.
These are among the most important pieces of information about you, and with them in hand, hackers could easily steal your identity.
Don't use a picture of you as your profile picture on social networks.
Put a picture of something that you love instead.
For instance, if you love eating grapes, post a picture of grapes on your social media account or chat messenger service of choice.
If some malicious person were to discover your real picture, they might use it to locate and harm you.
If you are a minor, always ask your parents what personal information they want you to share online.
Do not overload a user with information, as that user can be hacked and then you sending messages makes you a sitting duck.
This means you should not share your address or even the city you reside in.
Even the school you attend should remain a secret when chatting or posting online.
With just a few details about your location, an internet predator could pretend to be someone you know.
For instance, if you tell someone online you live in a certain town, and they know your age, they might be able to pose as someone you know or as someone who lives nearby in order to get you to share important info.
Be careful when posting photos of where you live.
A picture in front of your house or near your mailbox might include a partial or complete address which a predator might use to track you down.
Carefully examine all photos before posting them online. , If you make your contact information known to the general public, you might get threatening or abusive messages, or attract unwelcome attention.
Keep your accounts visible only to friends who you specifically selected for access.
If you have a website, keep your domain name registration private.
If you list your domain privately, instead of your personal contact info, the contact info of your domain registrar will show up for anyone conducting a domain ownership search., The most obvious example of this would be nude pictures or videos.But you could also end up in trouble by posting images, text, or video which celebrates or admits to drug use, racism, and violence.
Even if you send this content in confidence to a boyfriend or girlfriend, there’s no way of knowing what they’ll do with it.
If you break up, they might, for instance, post the images anonymously online in revenge.
Even if your social media accounts are private, people might repost your content in a public place where you’d rather it not be seen.
Once something is on the internet, it is virtually impossible to remove it.
Be smart and don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your mother (or a potential employer) to see.
If a friend posts something on their social media profile, blog, or website which you do not want online, ask them kindly to remove it.
If they do not remove it, attempt to force them to remove it by contacting their parents or guardian, or enlist aid of a third party to negotiate with them.
Be proactive in preventing compromising content from being posted online by telling people who take potentially compromising pictures of you, "Please do not post that online." If you are underage, check with your parents before posting anything online., If you are on a dating site or get a message from someone you don’t know who wants to meet, do not meet them unless you are comfortable doing so.
Do not give in to pressure from a stranger on the internet to give out your address or other contact info.
Remember, with the anonymity of the internet, anyone can claim anything about themselves.
If you do decide to meet someone from the internet, choose a public place like a restaurant or shopping mall to ensure they are who they claim they are.
If you are underage and want to meet up with a friend you've met online, check with your parent or guardian to ensure they know the situation.
About the Author
Janet Hernandez
Janet Hernandez has dedicated 5 years to mastering humanresources. As a content creator, Janet focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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