Ten Tips to Shockproof Your Use of Social Media
Ben Woelk Policy and Awareness Analyst
Rochester Institute of Technology [email protected]
@benwoelk
Introduction
• Everyone is a target • Organized crime funds the attacks
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Avert Labs Malware Research
3 Retrieved July 24, 2009 from: http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2009/07/22/malware-is-their-businessand-business-is-good/
Tip # 1 Strong Passwords/ Passphrases
• Length more important than complexity
It was a dark and stormy night
becomes
ItwasaDark215andStormyNight
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Password Safes
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Tip # 2 Keep up to date!
• Operating Systems • Applications
Tip #3 Use Security Software
Layers of Security • Anti-Virus Protection • Firewall • Anti-Spyware Protection Don’t overlook mobile devices!
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Tip #4 Recognize Phishing/Scams
Phishing Tips
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Tip #5 Use Social Networks Safely
Don’t: • Post personal information • Post schedules or whereabouts • Post inappropriate photos
http://www.sileo.com/facebook-status-update-leads-to-robbery/
Phishing on Social Network Sites
http://www.markmonitor.com/download/bji/BrandjackingIndex-Spring2009.pdf 11
Tip #6 Remember Who Else is There
• Who else uses social networking? – Employers – Identity Thieves – Online Predators
• Facebook Stalker (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCh9bmg0zGg)
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What You Post Can Be Used To…
• Make judgments about your character
• Impersonate you to financial institutions
• Monitor what you do and where you go
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Tip #7 Be wary of others
Is this really your friend? • Just because it’s your
friend’s account does not mean that it’s your friend!
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Tip #8 Search for your name
• Do a vanity search • Set up a Google Alert
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Tip #9 Guard Your Personal Information!
• Watch out for Facebook Applications!! – A 2008 study found
that 90.7% of apps had access to private user data (only 9.3% actually used the data)
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Tip #10: Don’t Assume Privacy
• Do you care if Facebook captures where you’ve been?
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Use Privacy Settings
• Default settings are set to sharing information
• Adjust Facebook privacy settings to help protect your identity
• Show "limited friends" a cut-down version of
your profile
• Disable options, then open them one by one
http://www.sophos.com/security/best-practice/facebook.html
The First Line of Defense
Stay alert—you will be the first to know if something goes wrong – Are you receiving odd communications from
someone? – Is your computer sounding strange or slower
than normal?
Practice Digital Self Defense
• Infosec Communicator blog • @benwoelk • @RIT_Infosec
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