News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Monitoring website and social media usage may help keep personal information and other sensitive data protected.
That according to Eric Brown, Assistant Director of Tennessee Tech’s Cyber Security Education Research and Outreach Center.
“The worst offenses people commit in regards to data privacy is simply not paying attention to it,” “Things such as the security settings on your social media… How much information are you really sharing about yourself. Are sharing to your friends, or are you publicly sharing everything?”
Monday is National Data Privacy Day in which nearly 50 countries advocate for safe internet usage and keeping personal data safe while surfing the web.
Brown said deleting social media posts or messages won’t completely remove information once it’s posted online.
“Only share stuff with your family and friends that you really want to share,” Brown said. “Remember, posting stuff is out there forever. It doesn’t go away if you supposedly delete it; it’s still out there somewhere. Be conscious of the information that you share.”
Brown said data privacy goes beyond social media and includes everything from suspicious emails to even robocalls.
“All these phishing attacks have a sense of urgency like ‘you must do something immediately,'” Brown said. “If it’s coming from a source you’ve never heard from before, be very leery of that. Reputable businesses and organizations you’re going to [conduct business] with that have a business reason to need your personal information is going to take a lot of effort to make sure that it’s properly communicated and not [create] a false sense of urgency.”
National Data Privacy Day highlights ways people can keep personal information secure while using the internet (Photo: National Cyber Security Alliance)
Brown suggests people double-check with businesses or organizations if they receive suspicious emails from users claiming to need information.
Adults aren’t the only ones whose information can be compromised. Brown said parents should monitor their children’s social media and online gaming accounts for any potential suspicious activity by other users.
“Xboxs and PlayStations and all these types of platforms are incredibly popular right now. These games are connected and these kids are playing with other kids in other states and other places,” Brown said. “Sometimes they’re not ‘kids’ [but adults] that they’re playing with. Be aware of the games your children are playing and what social interactions are taking place through those games.”
Brown encourages parents to speak with their children about not giving any identifying information to other users over the internet.
