Security tips for personal social media account use
February 1st, 2024 - Defence Stories
Most people have one or more of the many Social Media platforms connected to their lives. With all that access, we are often unaware or naive to the potential risks that Social Media accounts can have to personal information and safety. Fact: Did you know that the number of fake profiles, often mimicking accounts of DND and CAF members, has increased?
Please find more security tips for personal social media account use below.
Video / February 01, 2024
Transcript
Security tips for personal social media account use.
- Disable Bluetooth when not needed.
- Only use trusted public WI-Fi networks — avoid sensitive task such as banking.
- Check your privacy settings on each of your social media accounts!
- Be aware of fake profiles.
- Keep your social pages free of personal information.
Infographic – Text version
Tips and Tricks:
Security tips for personal social media account use
Social media accounts allow people to connect and interact with one another. But without adequate safety measures, the risk of hackers accessing personal and confidential information arises. By educating individuals on suspicious behaviour signs, what information to avoid sharing, and prevention methods, social media security helps protect both users and their data.
Secure the data on your mobile devices.
- Log out from all social network apps when not in use.
- Keep your phone and tablet operating systems up to date.
- Disable Bluetooth when not needed.
- Only use trusted public Wi-Fi networks, avoiding any sensitive tasks like banking.
Beware of fake profiles.
The number of fake profiles, often mimicking accounts of DND and CAF senior leaders, has increased. These accounts use similar images, updates, and account names to gain credibility, personal information, or disseminate misinformation. Before interacting online, verify accounts, closely inspect social media handles (avoid those with extra characters or slight spelling changes).
Privacy settings on social media networks.
- Get to know the privacy settings for each of your social media accounts.
- Check to see who can see your posts.
- Keep your main profile page free of personal information.
- Be mindful that photos depicting your trips and locations can reveal your whereabouts.
- Restrict third-party app access.
To further guard against suspicious behaviour, only accept friend requests from known individuals.
Tiktok
Due to significant privacy and security risks, TikTok is blocked and cannot be downloaded on government-issued mobile devices.
For more information:
Official Government of Canada social media accounts can be found in the Canada.ca gallery: https://www.canada.ca/en/social.html
For more content from Security Awareness Week, please visit the Security Awareness toolkit page: Security Awareness Toolkit. This link is accessible only on the National Defence network.
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