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Social Media

Image by Mariia Shalabaieva

Social media plays a vital role in modern communication, enabling individuals to stay connected with colleagues, business partners, friends, and family. It provides a dynamic platform to share updates, stories, professional achievements, news, and multimedia content, fostering both personal and professional relationships.


Below is a categorized overview of the most widely used platforms:

  • Business and employment-oriented social network: LinkedIn, Xing, Glassdoor, Handshake

  • Communication & Networking: LinkedIn, Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Facebook, X (former Twitter)

  • Marketing & Brand Promotion: Pinerest, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Tumblr, Snapchat, WeChat

  • Media Sharing Networks: Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok

  • Community Building: Discord, Facebook, Telegram

  • Discussion Forums: Reddit, Quora, Digg
     

It is important to understand how social media sites are using your information and if they are selling it to advertisers and other third parties. You need to be careful with how you use it, it is also an easy way for cyber criminals to learn more about you.


PROTECT YOUR PROFILE

1. Passphrase or Password

  • Use a passphrase or complex password for every social media account to secure your information.

  • Passphrases are longer yet easier to remember than a password of random, mixed characters. 


What is a passphrase? 
It is a memorized phrase consisting of mixed words or a sentence with or without spaces. It should typically be at least 4 words and up to 40 characters in length. 

For example: SunnyMexicoTravelWithFriends (Create a story that ties all the words together.) 



What is a password? 
It is a word, phrase, or a string of characters set of mixed digits. A password must include a mix of CAPITAL and lowercase letters, be greater than 7 characters in length, contain at least one number and contain at least one special character such as ? Or $. Do not use repeating patterns and avoid easy to remember or simple passwords.

For example: Snoopy20Tea$, or TAR*re9SA#DAl!6^Wr


2. Enable multi-factor authentication (=MFA)
MFA should be enabled to secure your account. This is an additional step to log in to your account. In case a cyber criminal has your password then the login is stopped because of the MFA protection. This can be a pin, security question, scan your fingerprint, eyes, face, etc. to unlock your phone. 

3. Review your privacy setting

4. Keep your information private (avoid sharing):

  • phone number (landline, mobile)

  • email address private or from work

  • home or business address 

  • any details from work

  • kindergarten, children school, high school

  • verify the background of any pictures before you post such as street signs or car license plates 

  • turn off your location where the photo was taken (disable geotagging in your phone setting)

  • holiday details (hotels, country, address)

  • valid purchases (for example, purchase of a house, territory, car, bike, jewelry, etc.)


     

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