Be safer on social media by following these 15 security and privacy tips. Full post: https://defendingdigital.com/security-tips-for-social-media-safety/

1. 15 Security & Privacy Tips
for Social Media Safety

2. Chad Warner
Chad Warner
Security & privacy enthusiast
Web agency owner
DefendingDigital.com

3. Social Media Threats

4. 1. Insecure Accounts
● Could your passwords be easily guessed?
● Are your passwords simple?
● Are the username and password all that are
required to log in?

5. 2. Malicious Messages
● Messages can contain malicious links and
attachments

6. ● Do you reveal that you're away from home?
● Sharing location, even after the fact, reveals
information about your behavior
● Criminals monitor social media
3. Location Sharing

7. ● Do you post photos of sensitive documents and
objects?
4. Revealing Photos

8. ● Is your birth date in your profile?
● Criminals can wreak havoc with name, date of birth
(DOB), and address
5. Exposing Date of Birth

9. ● Could a bad actor learn enough to scam you (or
family or friends)?
● Could a bad actor learn enough to answer your
security questions?
6. Revealing Bio

10. ● Friends/connections instantly get access to a lot of
your personal info
● Are all your friends/connections who they say they
are?
● Could any of your friends/connections mean you
harm?
7. Unfriendly "Friends"

11. ● Do you log out after using a friend's device?
8. Staying Logged In

12. ● Do you use the social login option?
● If someone hacks the social media account you use,
they could access all your connected accounts
9. Social Logins

13. ● Have you given third parties access to your
accounts?
● Third parties can share your data with others, or be
hacked
10. Trusting Third Parties

14. ● Many platforms collect data about you (from within
the platform and even other sites and apps you use)
to advertise to you
● Some platforms share that information with
partners
11. Targeting

15. ● Do you ever share personal info in a public group?
● A bad actor could learn enough to scam you or
answer your security questions
12. Public Means Public

16. ● Can the public see your groups? Can
friends/connections?
● Can the public see your likes? Can
friends/connections?
● A bad actor could learn enough to scam you
13. Tell Me About Yourself

17. ● How many accounts have you abandoned?
● Have you closed or deleted them?
● Hackers target unused accounts
14. Abandoned Accounts

18. ● In the US, social platforms are considered public
spaces, and any info shared there is covered under
third-party doctrine
● You have no reasonable expectation of privacy
15. Privacy? Here?

19. "The more time you spend on social media,
the greater your vulnerability to hacking.
Every picture you post, every quiz question
you answer, every experience you recount,
every shred of personal information you
willingly share with 'friends' increases the
area of your attackable surface."
— Swiped by Adam Levin

20. How to Increase Your
Security & Privacy

21. ● Make sure every account has a different, long,
complex password
● Enable two-factor authentication (use hardware key
or app, not SMS/text)
● Set nonsense answers to security questions
● Regularly review security and privacy settings
1. Secure Your Accounts

22. 2. Be Careful with Messages
● Be careful about clicking links and opening
attachments
● Consider disabling read receipts

23. ● Disable location sharing
● Don't post about travel until you're home
● Be careful what details you share
3. Disable Location Sharing

24. ● Don't post photos of sensitive documents and
objects
● Set the smallest audience necessary
4. Be Careful with Photos

25. ● Don't put any part of your birth date in your profile
● Don't post about your birthday
5. Hide Date of Birth

26. ● Don't reveal too much personal info
6. Beware with Your Bio

27. ● Consider verifying the person’s identity
7. Verify "Friends"

28. ● Log out when you’re finished using a friend's device
● If you forget, try to log out remotely
8. Log Out of Others' Devices

29. ● Don’t use the social login option
● Use a password manager to store unique passwords
9. Don't Use Social Logins

30. ● Think carefully before you grant a third party
access; know their permissions
● Regularly remove the third-party apps and accounts
that are no longer needed
10. Be Careful with Third Parties

31. ● Opt out of personalized ads
11. Opt Out of Personalized Ads

32. ● Pay attention to group types
● Be careful what you post/comment in public groups
● Social platforms can see inside private groups
12. Be Careful with Groups

33. ● Be careful what groups and interests you make
visible; hide when possible
13. Be Wary of What Groups and
Interests Reveal

34. ● Close/delete any social media account that you’re
not using
● If you don't want to close/delete, monitor
14. Delete Unused Accounts

35. ● Assume that everything you post on social media is
permanent
● Don't provide more info than necessary
15. Be Privacy-Minded

36. 10. Be careful with third
parties
11. Opt out of personalized
ads
12. Be careful with groups
13. Be wary of what groups
and interests reveal
14. Delete unused accounts
15. Be privacy-minded
1. Secure your accounts
2. Be careful with messages
3. Disable location sharing
4. Be careful with photos
5. Hide date of birth
6. Beware with your bio
7. Verify "friends"
8. Log out of others' devices
9. Don't use social logins

37. 1 thing you'll stop
1 thing you'll start
1 thing you'll continue

38. Slides & Notes
DefendingDigital.com/15-social
Security & Privacy Guides
DefendingDigital.com

39. Q&A