Social media can give attackers a
platform to impersonate trusted people and brands
or the information they need carry out additional attacks, including social engineering and phishing.
However, as social media has grown over the years, so has
the risk of data breaches
. As more and more information gets placed online, there is an increased danger of hackers, companies, and malicious interlopers mining your data in ways that undermine personal privacy. And in some cases, your data is outright stolen.
Criminals are adept at tricking social media users into handing over sensitive
information
, stealing personal data, and gaining access to accounts users consider private. Following are typical social media threats. Everyone leaves a data trail behind on the internet.
Most social media threats stem from
employees disclosing too much private and business information publicly
. These accounts are personal, so businesses can’t stop users from having a social media presence. But they can educate users on the best ways to protect data and their credentials.
Social media can give attackers a platform to impersonate trusted people and brands or the information they need carry out additional attacks, including
social engineering and phishing
.
- cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology)
- invasion of privacy.
- identity theft.
- your child seeing offensive images and messages.
- the presence of strangers who may be there to ‘groom’ other members.
What are the 3 Internet threats?
- Spam. …
- Adware. …
- Trojan. …
- Virus. …
- Worms. …
- Phishing. …
- Spyware. …
- Keyloggers.
- Social Networking Sites. Sometimes hackers go right to the source, injecting malicious code into a social networking site, including inside advertisements and via third-party apps. …
- Social Engineering. …
- Mobile Applications. …
- Advanced Persistent Threats. …
- Impersonation. …
- Trust. …
- Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
However, social media use can also
negatively affect teens
, distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure. The risks might be related to how much social media teens use.
Social platform attacks
target websites with large user bases
, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. … Most often, social platform attacks are able to breach users’ accounts by stealing their authentication credentials upon login.
- Read the social media site’s terms. In the 21st century, information can be a new form of valuable currency. …
- Don’t share private information like your full name and address. Keep your full name and address to yourself. …
- Be careful about posting photos on social media sites.
- Build relationships. Social media is not just about brands connecting with their customers. …
- Share your expertise. Social media gives you an opportunity to talk about what you know and what you want to be known for. …
- Increase your visibility. …
- Educate yourself. …
- Connect anytime.
- WhatsWhat.me (2011) Age7+ …
- Yoursphere (2009) Age 9+ …
- Franktown Rocks (2009) Age 10+ …
- GiantHello (2010) Age 10+ …
- GirlSense (2009) Age 10+ …
- Sweety High (2010) Age 11+ …
- Imbee (2011) Age 10+ …
- YourCause (2009) Age 13+
- Make sure to set your account preferences to private. …
- Don’t connect with strangers on social media. …
- When browsing online, always protect your location. …
- Don’t upload high-resolution pictures to your social media profiles. …
- Make sure you’re not oversharing.
What are the biggest privacy threats online?
- Cybercriminals remain the biggest threat due to shady practices. …
- Facial recognition software is building a database. …
- Cell phone GPS functionality provides easy location tracking. …
- Data in the cloud is not subject to the same protections as your hard drive.
What are the six common types of threats?
- Cybercrime. Cybercriminals’ principal goal is to monetise their attacks. …
- Hacktivism. Hacktivists crave publicity. …
- Insiders. …
- Physical threats. …
- Terrorists. …
- Espionage.