In the modern world of online social networking, talking to strangers has become the norm. While the rules about personal safety have had to be rewritten slightly, it’s important to know how to protect yourself and your personal information when using Facebook, Twitter, and other Internet tools.

 Top tips for social networking safety

• Keep personal information to yourself. The more you post about your identity, location and other personal details, the easier it is for hackers and identity thieves to access your personal information. Also remember, when updating your status, not to mention that you’ll be away from home to avoid tempting thieves.
  
  
• Remember that what you post lasts forever. When you post something online, it’s captured there forever. Whether it’s backed up on a site’s server or saved by someone else, your words and pictures could appear again some day, and sometimes in an altered state, even if you have deleted them from your own view.
  
  
• Always read the fine print. People often skip through the privacy and security messages because they’re usually quite long and seem complicated. But, it’s important to control who has access to your information and who sees your posts.
  
  
• Lock down your hardware. Protect your computers and mobile devices with up-to-date security software, firewalls, antivirus and spyware programs. Use different passwords for each site you belong to and make them difficult to guess, but don’t keep lists of your user names and passwords in easy reach.
  
  
• Know who your friends are. Restrict access to your page and be selective when accepting friend or chat requests; make sure they are people you know and trust. Let them know when you’re uncomfortable with anything they post about you, and respect their privacy in return.
  
  
• Think before you click. If a link looks suspicious or comes from someone you don’t know, don’t click it. Be aware of emails containing links that could collect your personal information or launch viruses. If you’re not sure, contact the sender directly to confirm.

Read our Privacy Policy to learn how COSECO protects your privacy. For more ways to keep your information safe online, visit the National Cyber Security Alliance’s Stay Safe Online website.