Protecting your identifiable data involves protecting your devices and accounts. Phishing emails will attempt to harvest your confidential to access your accounts or create false ones in your name. The more information you share publicly on the internet, the more vulnerable you are to attacks using social engineering. Hackers use this knowledge about you to send you credible emails, mimicking those from your bank or other institutions. Do not click on links in emails. If someone asks you to enter your data, contact the relevant institution directly to find out more.
Some companies look at Facebook profiles to assess the cost of auto insurance for its customers. For its part, Twitter claims your phone number to secure your account but also to better target the advertising offered by advertisers. Twitter gives them access to personal information about you, like your favourite brand of breakfast cereal. Even information that you don't actively share, such as your browsing history, is used by advertising networks to make you spend more online.
Posting your travel plans before you leave can make it easier for burglars to break into your home while you are away. Admittedly, Internet stalking for burglary purposes remains rare. The victims of these crimes are often minoring and are marked for life after being forced to send intimate photos. Authorities are just starting to take these crimes seriously. To stop them, it is necessary to protect your data but also to take additional measures: for example, disconnect your webcam or cover its lens when you are not using it. Stay alert for the images you share on social media or store on your devices. The more public your personal information, the easier it will be for a malicious person to harass you online.
Even if you don't share everything on Facebook with your friends, you might be surprised at what Facebook knows about you. It tracks your GPS position, Bluetooth and your Wi-Fi signals. Snapchat, on the other hand, doesn't just simply access the photos and videos you post, but accesses your entire library.