1. Ten Tips to Shockproof Your
Use of Social Media
Ben Woelk
Policy and Awareness Analyst
Rochester Institute of Technology
ben.woelk@gmail.com
@benwoelk

2. Introduction
• Everyone is a target
• Organized crime funds the attacks
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3. Avert Labs Malware Research
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Retrieved July 24, 2009 from:
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2009/07/22/malware-is-their-businessand-business-is-good/

4. Phishing on Social Network Sites
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http://www.markmonitor.com/download/bji/BrandjackingIndex-Spring2009.pdf

5. Tip # 1 Strong Passwords/
Passphrases
• Length more important than complexity
It was a dark and stormy night
becomes
ItwasaDark215andStormyNight
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6. Password Safes
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7. Tip # 2 Keep up to date!
• Operating Systems
• Applications
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8. Tip #3 Use Security Software
Layers of Security
• Anti-Virus Protection
• Firewall
• Anti-Spyware Protection
Don’t overlook mobile devices!
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9. Tip #4 Recognize Phishing/Scams
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10. Phishing Tips
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11. Tip #5 Use Social Networks Safely
Don’t:
• Post personal information
• Post schedules or whereabouts
• Post inappropriate photos
http://www.sileo.com/facebook-status-update-leads-to-robbery/
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12. Tip #6 Remember Who Else is There
• Who else uses social networking?
– Employers
– Identity Thieves
– Online Predators
• Facebook Stalker
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCh9bmg0zGg)
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13. What You Post Can Be Used To…
• Make judgments
about your character
• Impersonate you to
financial institutions
• Monitor what you do
and where you go
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14. Tip #7 Be wary of others
• Choose your friends carefully
• "41% of Facebook users agreed to be
friends with this plastic frog,
opening themselves up to the risk
of identity theft."
• The frog’s name was Freddi Staur
– http://podcasts.sophos.com/en/sophos-
podcasts-019.mp3
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15. Is this really your friend?
Just because it’s your
friend’s account does
not mean that it’s your
friend!
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16. Tip #8 Search for your name
• Do a vanity search
• Set up a Google Alert
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17. Tip #9 Guard Your Personal
Information!
• Watch out for
Facebook
Applications!!
– A 2008 study found
that 90.7% of apps
had access to
private user data
(only 9.3% actually
used the data)
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18. Tip #10 Use Privacy Settings
• Default settings are set to sharing information
• Adjust Facebook privacy settings to help
protect your identity
• Show "limited friends" a cut-down version of
your profile
• Disable options,
then open them one by one
http://www.sophos.com/security/best-practice/facebook.html

19. The First Line of Defense
Stay alert—you will be the first to know if
something goes wrong
– Are you receiving odd communications from
someone?
– Is your computer sounding strange or slower
than normal?
– Has there been some kind of incident or warning
in the news?

20. Practice Digital Self Defense
• Infosec Communicator blog
• @benwoelk
• @RIT_Infosec 20