Are you exposing yourself too much online?

There are many ways that you share too much information online. For example, if you give too much information about a medical procedure some people might be grossed out if you give too much information about an embarrassing situation of a loved one you might be in the dog house. The most dreaded though is sharing too much information about your life online could be exposing you to fraud or theft.

So many use social media are not thinking about who is looking at what they post. While many of the people looking at your pictures and posts are family and friends, there is also a more disturbing reality that someone is there to try and steal your information.

Trip Plans
While it’s always a great idea to let a friend or family member know your travel itinerary when you go on holiday, posting too much online could mean that your house could be the target of thieves. If you post that you are going to be away for a long period and that no one is going to be there, then if people can get access to your address they could be paying a visit while you are visiting others.

Public WiFi
Having access to the internet is a must have and getting for free is even better. However, just because there is a free internet available someplace doesn’t mean that you should use it. Even large corporations offering free internet at their establishments are not as secure as your home connection. Thieves could be sitting on the network accessing devices that are using the WiFi and making copies of the devices information. When in doubt use your mobile data, if you must use the free WiFi install a VPN app on your phone which will make it harder for people to steal your information.

Photo locations
When you post a photo online sometimes social media can automatically detect where the photo was taken. Sometimes it can even tag the address of the place in the post. Make sure to turn off this feature as people can enjoy the photo without the added information.

Sometimes cameras themselves, especially phones, add location data to the photo automatically. You can run these pictures through “scrubbers” online for free or even install an app called “Metapho” for free on iOS to strip away any location details.

When it comes to your safety, online it’s always best to be proactive so that your information remains yours.

What other tips do you have for protecting yourself online? Have you had, or know someone, that has been the victim of an online scam?