SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES - TIPS FOR SAFETY

The recent incident in Mumbai where in a young boy was abducted by his so called friends made in Orkut and then cruelly murdered, has brought in lime light, the evils associated with the networking sites.

There are currently several social networking websites suitable for all ages and groups. However, what has caught the fancy of teens are the websites like Orkut, MySpace, Friendster, Bebo, Dada etc. The website is an easy platform where in you meet friends online, share interests and just hang out. These web sites offer various ways to get connected, common being an internal email system, chat, blog etc. With the development in technology, you can even remain connected to the internet on your cell phone. So where ever you are, you stay connected to your friend online in real time, virtually 24/7.

But as with any popular meeting place, there are predators and bullies waiting to take advantage of the ill-informed. If you enjoy those cyber-hang outs, you need to protect yourself.

The good news? It just takes a bit of knowledge and the right security tools.

Since social networking is about making friends, you should be very selective in choosing your friend. Rather than being very friendly with any individual who meets you online, it is safer to make a friend who is known to you or is a friend of your friend. References do work…so try to be careful and selective, when making a friend.

If any newly made friend is sending provocative or offensive messages, it is wiser to ignore them, rather than getting involved in an altercation or a “mail war”. You don’t have to respond to everybody and everything! Just ignore whatever “does not feel right” and let the messages go into oblivion. You should also consider whether to let the person continue as a friend or remove him / her from the list.

Your login and password are important! They are not to be shared, even with friends. Most of these websites have free registration and becoming a member is free. If a “friend” asks for your login and password, just ask yourself why he can’t get his own...). Stealing user names and passwords is a common trick in social platforms.

Be careful about what you say about yourself or your family! You never know the intentions of the person at the other end. If the person is very well known to you, you can discuss personal details, if you feel comfortable discussing them. However, be very cautious and restrictive when discussing with strangers or newly made friend.

Be very careful when writing anything on the posts. Anybody can read your posts, and for a long time after you’ve written them. Some people just enjoy reading post of others. However, imagine you have written something about your boss and he stumbles upon your post and reads it!! I am sure you would not like to jeopardize your promotion or job. Or if you are a student and have written something about your teacher and (s)he reads it, how embarrassing it can be.

Always keep in mind that there are predators ready to pounce on you. Whenever you’re about to post something, ask yourself if someone would be able to get back to you in real-life with that information. If so, then sanitize your post! Don’t give any clue to your actual identity (school names, class schedules, phone numbers, etc.).

Never get together alone with someone you meet online. This represents the biggest danger to your safety. If you decide to meet someone, talk to your parents first and then meet in a public area, preferably with friends.

When you download content from other users (songs, videos, documents, etc.), you open your computer to hackers. With a well-crafted Trojan horse, they can wipe out your pictures and music, or steal your passwords and really make a fool out of you. To guard against these risks, make sure your Internet security program has a firewall and an antispyware tool that work with other parts of your security system to protect your stuff and your computer from hackers, viruses, worms and Trojan horses.

Conclusion

Yes, Social Networking Sites are great. And you can enjoy expressing yourself the way you want to as well as stay connected with your friends. But, as in real life, you’d be a fool to think you can do it without taking some precautions. With a bit of forethought and our advice, you can keep your information safe against security threats and continue to enjoy the many social opportunities of the Internet. Stay smart, keep up with networking site scams and make sure your computer has security tools like Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security. Have fun!