5 things hackers love to see you share on social media
Whether you got a new job, new digs or just want to post a cool selfie, chances are you've shared what you've been up to on social media. Communication channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram make sharing information fast and easy.
Sharing what you're doing might sound innocent, but your friends and followers aren't the only ones paying attention. Social media hackers are also taking interest in your updates to see what they can exploit.
To help you play it safe, here's a list of things you should never share on social media:
Your phone number
You wouldn't broadcast your phone number to complete strangers, so why would you share it on social media? Although you might think you're just innocently sharing with friends, social media hackers want your number, too.
Social media hackers want phone numbers because they are unique identifiers that typically last a long time.
For example, hackers can type your phone number into a Facebook search to find your profile page if you have it listed. This could lead to theft, fraud and misrepresentation.
Hackers might also bypass security and use your phone number as a caller ID to send text messages that ask recipients to unknowingly click on a malware link.
Your home address
To avoid burglars showing up at your home would be one reason not to share your home address on social media.
However, social media hackers aren't looking to just rob your home - they're out to get everything you're worth.
Addresses may be leveraged by attackers to create more convincing and effective phishing schemes that can ultimately lead to identity theft and credit card fraud.
Additionally, home addresses are often used by financial institutions to verify your identity. Reverse lookup services can supply anyone with your home address with a phone number, and vice versa.
Your new credit card
Even though it should be a no-brainer, some people become overly excited about receiving a new credit card and end up sharing a picture of it on their social media accounts.
Doing this is simply handing social media hackers exactly what they want. Sharing your credit card info gives hackers easy access to your financial accounts - since your account number and name are right on the card - and this could easily turn your life upside down.
Hashtags
Hashtags make it easy to follow a conversation on social media sites like Twitter. But be careful what you hashtag: Social media hackers are watching your every move.
Sharing too much information about yourself or your whereabouts can be quite simple with hashtags, particularly with society now having the tendency to hashtag their whole lives. But hashtags can be useful tools for hackers as they provide another avenue for attackers to obtain information about you.
Where you've checked in
Although it's fun and easy, checking in to your favourite places on Foursquare, Facebook or Twitter isn't very smart.
In fact, it would be wise not to check in, as social media hackers will know where you are - or where you aren't.
This notifies hackers that you will be using your credit card in different locations, making it easier to post transactions that would otherwise be unusual.
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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