Question

This topic focused on protecting information from outside threats. Discuss your perception of the current threats presented by social media or Internet sites that you frequent. Explain how you can protect your personal information to minimize these threats. In replies to peers, discuss additional ways to protect personal information on social channels and the Internet through providing examples found in your own research or by citing the study materials.

Answer 1

The social media platforms and the overall internet provides great benefits. It minimizes the distance between people and helps in connecting with your loved ones, friends and people around the world. However, it also possesses a great risk to the safety and security of our data. From what e share to what we post, what we eat to where we go for entertainment, every tiny tidbit of information is processed and used by third parties.

It not only jeopardizes our right to privacy but can put our financial information at risk of being compromised through hacking and spam ware. Also, it possesses an additional risk of personal safety as people can easily stalk users and know their whereabouts and frequently visited places. This increases the crime rates based on the usage of social media and the internet.

I have always been very safety conscious and because of this, I limit the amount of information I share on any website or platform. The bank details are given only on the most trusted websites and that too scarcely. Similarly, I share limited information about my whereabouts and of my family and friends to keep them away from any security threat.

These personal steps help me in safeguarding my private life from the scrutiny of any third party and help me in being relatively safe from data breaches and compromises.

Also, the steps others can take to secure their data is to have strong passwords, limiting the usage of public wifis, being choosy in which platforms and sites they trust and controlling the amount of exposure they provide to the world. These strategies help in the long run in being safe and secure with your data remains protected.