6 things you shouldn't do online or any social media
It doesn’t take much effort to create a convincing hoax. With the right phrasing and a dab of digital wizardry, you could convince millions of people that a celebrity has committed suicide, or that drilling a hole in your iPhone 7 will reveal a hidden headphone jack. (It won’t by the way, but here’s the video that has over 15 million views and fooled some into destroying their iPhones.)
There’s a hoax that claims Facebook's privacy policy has changed, that all your pictures, posts and messages will now become public, and that people should post a statement that they do not give Facebook permission to share their private content. This particular post, like many others, cites a news source along with mumbo jumbo legal statutes.
It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t, but if you hear something shocking, run a quick internet search before you believe it. You may save yourself a lot of embarrassment, and the pranksters will have less reason to fool people.
2. Never skip setting up 2FA
Don't let the fancy name “two-factor authentication” throw you. It just means that to log in to your account, you need two ways to prove you are who you say you are. It's like the bank or DMV asking for two forms of ID.
Most major services and companies, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, offer two-factor authentication. It’s essential to set it up, because it prevents people from accessing your account if your password is compromised. Some sites ask for your cellphone number, so they can text supplemental access codes to you if a password reset is enacted. You can also get alerts every time your account is accessed from an unfamiliar browser or device.
I have the steps necessary to set up 2FA on my site. It takes just a few minutes, so do it now, while you’re thinking about it. Click here to protect yourself from hackers, scammers and snoops.
3. Never use the same password for multiple sites
Passwords used to be so easy. Your pet bunny was named “Pinky,” so that became your password. Nowadays, passwords look more like JaYW1x%BuUnZ#. Even if you could remember this gobbledygook, do you really want to dream up more than one password that looks like this?
Security is vital these days, and complex passwords are the way to go. But there is a simple way to remember good passwords that are also unique to each site. Click here to learn why “ilovefreshsashimitunawithalittlesoyandwasabi” is a great password.
Trust me: Passwords are annoying only until someone commandeers your account. Using the same password is a mistake you only have to make once.
4. Don’t sync your social media accounts
It’s difficult keeping up with all your social media accounts. Services like Buffer, Hootsuite, and SproutSocial help you manage your social presence across several platforms from one dashboard. Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of scheduling the same message across all their profiles. Remember, tweets and Facebook posts are very different things, as are Instagram and Google+.
Social media is an art. It’s a little more time-consuming to tailor your announcements to each type of social media, but it’s like the old carpenter’s motto: measure twice, cut once.
5. Don’t use public Wi-Fi without focus
Most people feel very comfortable walking into a hip urban café and logging onto the local Wi-Fi. But is it really the local Wi-Fi? Lots of people log on to systems with names like “CoffeeShop” or “ILoveFood” and have no idea that they belong to data-hungry hackers.
These hackers set up their own fake public Wi-Fi with a misleading name. Upon logging in, the victim’s keystrokes are recorded and stolen, making it easy for the hackers to obtain personal information. Hackers will also send malware disguised as updates to a victim's computer. Once the malware is installed, the hackers gain full control of the computer without the victim's knowledge.
That’s why you want to use a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN service lets you create an encrypted connection with one of its servers, and you use that server to use the internet. The connection is encrypted through the server, so the VPN can't see your traffic either. It's a bit more complicated, but that's the result.
6. Never turn on an argument social media
There’s nothing tackier than a social media argument. Even well-notice comments can sound snarky and mean-spirited. Friendships often fall apart after sparring on Facebook or Twitter. If you need to sort out your differences, it’s best to do this in person or over the phone. Most social media arguments end badly.yep
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