Marc:
Welcome back to another edition of Byte sized Security, your source
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for byte sized cybersecurity lessons.
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I'm Mark David, and with me
today to discuss social media,
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safety is expert Nia Jordan.
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Our profiles contain a wealth of
personal information, making social
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platforms a goldmine for cybercriminals.
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Nia joins me to share best practices
for tweaking your privacy settings,
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securing accounts, avoiding scams,
and building connections safely.
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Whether you're on Facebook, Instagram,
LinkedIn, or Twitter, or X, as it's
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called now, you'll walk away with tangible
actions to enhance your protection.
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Let's dive in.
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Nia, great to have you on the show.
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Can you start by giving an overview
of key social media security risks
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and how criminals exploit them?
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Nia: Glad to join you, Mark.
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Social platforms contain a huge trove
of personal data, photos, contacts,
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and posts that criminals covet.
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LAC's default privacy settings
allow scraping public info.
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Weak account security enables
hacked profiles for financial fraud.
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Clicking scams spreads malware, and fake
connections facilitate social engineering.
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Staying vigilant defends against these.
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Marc: Let's start with privacy settings.
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What configuration changes do
you recommend to limit exposure?
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Nia: The key is locking down who
can view your content, especially
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for profiles public by default
like Facebook and Twitter.
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I suggest enabling the strictest
audience options for posts, photos,
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contacts, and biographical info.
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Remove anything you wouldn't
want strangers accessing.
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Limit visibility of past
posts if possible, and opt
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out of data gathering for ads.
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Restricting access protects you.
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What
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Marc: security advice do you
have for locking down social
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media accounts themselves?
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Nia: Make sure you set strong,
unique passwords for each profile,
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and enable two factor authentication
using an authenticator app for account
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recovery if passwords are lost.
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Remove any saved browser
passwords for automatic logins.
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Be cautious of third party apps
requesting access to accounts.
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And know how to report impersonation
profiles or hacked accounts to platforms.
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Treat social accounts like your email.
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Crucial to securely control.
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Marc: Scams are also a major
threat on social platforms.
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How can users avoid risks like
fake prizes or malware links?
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Nia: The biggest scam indicators
are too good to be true offers,
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high pressure urgency, or requests
for financial information.
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Social platforms themselves
will never message you to share
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private data or transfer money.
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Be skeptical of prize messages and
job offers directing you off site.
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Delete messages demanding
money transfers immediately.
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And never click links promising celebrity
photos, game cheats, free events,
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and the like which spread malware.
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Savvy browsing defends against tricks.
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Marc: What about the connections
we make on social platforms?
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Any risks when linking profiles
between sites or accepting friend
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Nia: requests?
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I'm cautious about linking
social media accounts under one
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identity, which expands access.
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Never link accounts via third
party apps, which can scrape data.
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Vet connections against your real
relationships before accepting
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requests to avoid social engineering.
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Ask contacts directly if you're
uncertain of a request's validity.
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On LinkedIn especially, check
work connections against
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profiles of actual colleagues.
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Impersonation is common, so verify before
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Marc: connecting.
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For parents and educators listening, are
there particular safeguards you recommend
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implementing for children on social media?
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Absolutely.
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Nia: Set profiles to private
and disable location tagging
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to limit exposure among kids.
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Remind them to only approve
connections from people they
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actually know in real life.
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Install protections like Bark or
Circle to monitor concerning activity
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and cyberbullying across platforms.
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Have open conversations about
limiting oversharing and the
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permanence of content posted online.
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And set clear guidelines for healthy usage
habits and enforcing periodic breaks.
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Ongoing involved guidance keeps kids safe.
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Marc: Final words of wisdom for
our listeners looking to boost
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their social media security?
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Nia: Just remember that diligent
awareness, smart privacy habits,
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and genuine connections go a
long way in enhancing safety.
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Apply the same precautions on social
media that you would in the physical
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world when interacting with strangers.
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Your vigilance remains
the ultimate protection.
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Marc: Outstanding tips, Nia.
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Thank you for sharing your
social media security insights.
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Thank you for having me, Mark.
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That wraps up this edition of
Byte sized Security focused on
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defending your social media presence.
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Lock down settings, secure accounts,
avoid scams, and vet connections.
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Stay safe out there on social platforms
by being informed and vigilant.
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For more cybersecurity lessons, keep
listening to Byte sized Security.
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See you next time.
