by Jillian Magiera

It seems like everyone is on Facebook now, especially people who did not grow up with technology and may not be aware of the security risks that Facebook poses. Many people do “fun” Facebook quizzes and share a lot of personal information. Sometimes, that personal information is an answer to a common security question which can be used against the person.

Replying to public posts with personal information is the easiest way for malicious people to get your information

So many people do these “fun” Facebook quizzes and give away so much personal info.

 

Common Security Questions

  • What city where you born in
  • Make and model of your first car
  • Name of your high school
  • Mother’s maiden name

Tips on Facebook Safety

  • Check privacy settings on posts
  • Don’t post too much personal information – once it is online, it is there forever
  • Use different passwords for different sites
  • Review and update passwords/security questions on banking sites or other financial sites regularly

These tips can be applied to all social media, not just Facebook. Reviewing security questions and updating passwords should be done regularly on any site that has personal information (healthcare, insurance, sites with stored banking information), not just financial institutions’ websites.

 

“The same common security questions are used on most websites. If a hacker can get access to your email via a security question, then they can access all accounts associated with that email. Be careful with what you post.”  – SSgt M. Magiera, USAF Cyber Systems Operations Expert

 

I realized that I know many people who share these Facebook quizzes without thinking about the information they put out there. Most of them are usually older adults or teenagers, but this affects all age groups.

I try to educate people about being careful what they post on Facebook when I see someone sharing info that is an answer to a common security question.

We should always be cautious of what we post online. It may seem like a fun thing to reminisce with friends through social media posts, but be aware of what information you are posting.

Don’t post personal information that is also a common security question. While common security questions are great for the user because they are unlikely to forget the answer, people share the answers online without realizing what they are doing. A popular Facebook trend last year was to share information about your senior year in high school. While these trends seem fun and harmless, you are compiling personal information into one post that could be used against you by a hacker.

 

References

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22088-bbb-tip-thinking-of-sharing-your-senior-photo-on-facebook-think-twice.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/dangers-sharing-personal-information-social-media.

Images:
<--https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/04/14/personality-tests-quizzes-personal-info-police-warning-facebook/-->

https://www.giveitgetit.org/social-media-questions/