Social Networking The “Dos” and “Don’ts”

Social Networking Web Sites

Facebook Twitter MySpace Windows LiveSpace

Purpose To share information, photos, videos A way to stay connected with other

people, family, friend or complete strangers

Meet people with common interests

Dangers Hackers Spammers Viruses Identity theft

DoBe careful when you click links•Always ask yourself:

• Do I know the sender?• Was I expecting a link

from this person? • If you are still not sure,

use Google safe browsing• Type in this URL

http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= followed by the site you want to check.

DoBe diligent with the « forgot your password » question

• If possible, make up your own questions instead of choosing from a pre-made list.

DoRealise that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent

•If what you write or post is private , then do not put it on a social networking site! Law enforcement officials can access information that has been deleted from accounts. Also, anyone can easily print messages that you have posted and keep the hard copy.

DoBe cautious when choosing a social network

•Make sure you understand the sites privacy policy.•Verify if the sites monitors content that people post.• Do you know someone that already uses the site? What is their opinion of this site?

DoHave a discussion with your child about social networking• Communicate with them. Has something made them uncomfortable on the site?• Set house rules: they can only go on the computer in a common area such as the living room ( not their bedroom). •Make sure they follow age limits on sites. Most social networking sites have a minimum age requirement to sign up (ex. 13 yrs)

DoBe careful about who you accept as friends

•Identify theft can occur if thieves create fake profiles! They could easily ask you for personal information (example: ask for your full address to send a Christmas card! ) If you want to make sure, call you friend and give them your address on the phone!!

Don’tUse social networking sites at work•It can be a distraction and cause you to be less productive .•Viruses could spread to your computer via social networking sites and potentially damage the company’s computer or even put valuable company information at risk.•Verify if your company has a policy when it comes to visiting social networking sites.

Don’t Allow social networking sites to scan your email address book

•If you allow this to happen, your friends could receive emails from the site, without you knowing about it.

Don’tThrust that a message is really from the person it says it’s from

•Hackers can break into accounts and consequently send messages that look like they are from your friends.

Conclusion Social networking sites are a great opportunity to

stay connected with people we do not always see everyday, or meet people with similar interest as we do! It opens a whole new world to us with the click of the mouse. However, being aware of basic safety aspects of using these sites is important and will help you take full advantage of the endless possibilities that exist with social networking!

References 11 tips for social networking safetyRetrieved from:http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/social-networking.aspx How to check if a web site is safeRetrieved from:http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20098098-285/how-to-check-if-a-web-site-is-safe/ How to help your kids to be more safeRetrieved from:http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/kids-social.aspx Secure Tips & TalkRetrieved from:http://

blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/archive/2008/09/02/be-careful-with-social-networking-sites-especially-at-work.aspx