To mark Safer Internet Day, Stanley Hsu, Regional Vice President of Asia, Mimecast, says ‘sharenting’ should now be a concern for parents and employers alike.
Social media is a significant part of our daily lives, it is important to understand the dangers of sharing too much information online.
Sharenting – the trend of parents sharing photos and other details about their kids online – is of particular concern not only for the individuals and their children but for their employers as well.
With the rise of social media, the line between personal and business worlds is blurring. Posts on business-oriented sites are becoming more ‘social’ and employees and organizations are inadvertently leaking sensitive business and personal information.
Information that is freely shared on social media channels creates ammunition for cybercrime’s onslaught on consumers, businesses and public infrastructure.
Some tips for consumers and businesses on the dangers of social media oversharing and what to be aware of are:
1. Weaponizing personal data
The more personal information people share on public platforms, the easier it becomes for cybercriminals to build profiles of their potential victims which are used to develop and launch sophisticated social engineering and other types of cyberattacks.
2. Online permanence calls for greater awareness of risks
Once something exists in digital format, it ‘lives forever’ and is largely out of one’s control.
Threat actors develop online personas connecting with social media profiles, giving them full access to the inner workings of an individual’s life.
3. ‘Sharenting’ poses additional risks
Sharing photos of children’s birthdays and special moments can pose real and direct security risks to parents, children and others in their immediate personal and professional circles, including their colleagues and employers. For example, if a parent posts a photo of a child’s birthday outfit outside their school, it reveals information about the child’s age, location, the school they attend and more which cybercriminals could potentially access and utilize in their attacks.
Or if a parent posts a picture of their ‘take-your-child-to-work-day’, anyone watching would suddenly have multiple data points about that parent that could be weaponized by threat actors to improve their attack methods. Moreover, cybercriminals could use the information people post about their kids to commit identity theft.
Given the above concerns, parents – and Internet users in general – should:
● Never reveal intimate personal details about where they live, where they work or where their kids go to school
● Avoid posting photos from an office that can provide insight into the company’s security measures, as threat actors could use this information to circumvent company defenses
● Always remember that the Internet doesn’t forget: anything posted online is likely to remain there indefinitely. Take care to consider whether that photo or social media post could create risks to you or those in your immediate circle including your employer
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