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What are Social
Networking sites? |
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Social
networking
sites,
sometimes
referred
to as
"friend-of-a-friend"
sites,
build
upon the
concept
of
traditional
social
networks
where
you are
connected
to new
people
through
people
you
already
know.
The
purpose
of some
networking
sites
may be
purely
social,
allowing
users to
establish
friendships
or
romantic
relationships,
while
others
may
focus on
establishing
business
connections. |
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Wha security
implications do
these sites present? |
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Social
networking
sites
rely on
connections
and
communication,
so they
encourage
you to
provide
a
certain
amount
of
personal
information.
When
deciding
how much
information
to
reveal,
people
may not
exercise
the same
amount
of
caution
as they
would
when
meeting
someone
in
person
because |
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the
internet
provides
a sense
of
anonymity
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the lack
of
physical
interaction
provides
a false
sense of
security
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they tailor
the
information
for their
friends to
read,
forgetting
that others
may see it
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they want to
offer
insights to
impress
potential
friends or
associates
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While
the
majority
of
people
using
these
sites do
not pose
a
threat,
malicious
people
may be
drawn to
them
because
of the
accessibility
and
amount
of
personal
information
available
on them.
The more
information
malicious
people
have
about
you, the
easier
it is
for them
to take
advantage
of you.
Predators
may form
relationships
online
and then
convince
unsuspecting
individuals
to meet
them in
person.
That
could
lead to
a
dangerous
situation.
The
personal
information
can also
be used
to
conduct
a social
engineering
attack.
Using
information
that you
provide
about
your
location,
hobbies,
interests,
and
friends,
a
malicious
person
could
impersonate
a
trusted
friend
or
convince
you that
they
have the
authority
to
access
other
personal
or
financial
data.
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How can you
protect
yourself in
Social
Networking
sites? |
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Limit the
amount of
personal
information
you post -
Do not post
information
that would
make you
vulnerable
(e.g., your
address,
information
about your
schedule or
routine).
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Remember
that the
internet is
a public
resource -
Only post
information
you are
comfortable
with anyone
seeing. This
includes
information
in your
profile and
in blogs and
other
forums.
Also, once
you post
information
online, you
can't
retract it.
Even if you
remove the
information
from a site,
saved or
cached
versions may
still exist
on other
people's
machines
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Beware of
strangers -
The internet
makes it
easy for
people to
misrepresent
their
identities
and motives.
Consider
limiting the
people who
are allowed
to contact
you on these
sites. If
you interact
with people
you do not
know, be
cautious
about the
amount of
information
you reveal
or agreeing
to meet them
in person.
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Be
skeptical
- Don't
believe
everything
you read
online.
People
may post
false or
misleading
information
about
various
topics,
including
their
own
identities.
This is
not
necessarily
done
with
malicious
intent;
it could
be
unintentional,
a
product
of
exaggeration,
or a
joke.
Take
appropriate
precautions,
though,
and try
to
verify
the
authenticity
of any
information
before
taken
any
action.
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Check
privacy
policies
- Some
sites
may
share
information
such as
email
addresses
or user
preferences
with
other
companies.
This may
lead to
an
increase
in spam.
Also,
try to
locate
the
policy
for
handling
referrals
to make
sure
that you
do not
unintentionally
sign
your
friends
up for
spam.
Some
sites
will
continue
to send
email
messages
to
anyone
you
refer
until
they
join.
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How to
protect
your
children
in
Social
Networking
Sites |
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Children
are
especially
susceptible
to the
threats
that
social
networking
sites
present.
Although
many of
these
sites
have age
restrictions,
children
may
misrepresent
their
ages so
that
they can
join. By
teaching
children
about
internet
safety,
being
aware of
their
online
habits,
and
guiding
them to
appropriate
sites,
parents
can make
sure
that the
children
become
safe and
responsible
users. |
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A
Parent's
Guide |
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Social
networking
sites
can be
as
dangerous
as
answering
the door
to a
stranger
and you
need to
educate
yourself
on how
to keep
your
child
safe on
networking
sites. |
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Please
read the
following
tips to
help
your
kids use
social
networking
sites
safely |
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Help
your
kids
understand
what
information
should
be
private.
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Explain
that
kids
should
post
only
information
that you
– and
they –
are
comfortable
with
others
seeing. |
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Use
privacy
settings
to
restrict
who can
access
and post
on your
child’s
website.
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Remind
your
kids
that
once
they
post
information
online,
they
can’t
take it
back.
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Talk to
your
kids
about
avoiding
sex talk
online.
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Tell
your
kids to
trust
their
gut if
they
have
suspicions. |
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If they
ever
feel
uncomfortable
or
threatened
by
anything
online,
encourage
them to
tell
you. |
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Review
your
kid’s
friends
list
frequently |
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Keep the
computer
in open
area in
the home
so that
you can
see what
your
children
are
surfing. |
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Try to
understand
the
privacy
policy
of each
site.
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