Division of

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Story By: OSU Agriculture IT | dasnr_it@okstate.edu

Technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected with friends and family. However, increased online connectivity also increases the risk of exposing personal information to unintended audiences. In the past, sharing vacation photos and family videos typically happened in person with a small group of trusted individuals. Today, many people share real-time updates from their travels and provide virtual glimpses into their homes, workplaces, and major purchases through social media.

While sharing experiences online can be a great way to stay connected, it can also create opportunities for identity theft, online harassment, fraud, and other security risks. Taking a thoughtful approach to what, when, and with whom you share information can help protect your privacy and personal safety.

Remember: Once information is published online, it can be difficult or impossible to completely remove it. Taking a few moments to think before you post can help protect your privacy, your security, and the people closest to you.

What to Share

• Carefully consider whether the information you want to share would be better discussed in person, through a phone call, or in a private virtual meeting. Medical, financial, and professional details may provide information that could be exploited by bad actors.
• Before posting, ask yourself whether the content contains personal information that could reveal your location, provide access to accounts or services, or compromise your safety or the well-being of your family. If you are unsure, it is best not to share it publicly.
• Respect the privacy of others and the locations you visit. Personal property, medical facilities, private events, and certain religious or cultural gatherings may require permission before they can be photographed or recorded.
  

When to Share

• Whenever possible, wait until you have returned home before posting photos, videos, or travel updates. Avoid publicly sharing detailed travel itineraries. This information can be used by criminals to impersonate airlines, hotels, and employers and let criminals know that your property is unoccupied, increasing burglary risk.
• Consider delaying posts about vacations, holiday gatherings, and other events until you are no longer away from home, even if the trip is brief.
• Take time to review content before posting. You may need to blur addresses, remove identifying information, crop out individuals who have not consented to appear in the image, or obtain permission before sharing content created by someone else.

Who to Share It With

• Review your friends, followers, and connections periodically. Remove or block individuals you do not know or no longer feel comfortable sharing information with. Over time, it is easy to lose track of who can view your content.
• Keep personal and professional accounts separate whenever possible. Business and workplace accounts often have broader visibility and are expected to maintain a professional focus. Reserve personal accounts for personal content.
• Take advantage of privacy settings and audience controls. Many social media platforms allow you to create groups or customize who can see specific posts. Sensitive information, such as medical updates or family matters, may be more appropriate for a limited audience than a public post.

Manage Unused Accounts

If you no longer use a social media account, consider deactivating or deleting it. Reducing the number of active accounts decreases your online footprint and can help minimize the risk of unauthorized access, data scraping, or account compromise.

Resources:

• Share with Care: Staying Safe on Social Media
• Stay Safer on Social Media

For more information, visit our website.

Story By: OSU Agriculture IT | dasnr_it@okstate.edu