Surfing with Eyes Wide Open on Social Networks

The dangers of social networking sites are real and there is every reason to be extra vigilant when on these sites.

This is because some unarmed but lethal men and women are hiding under the anonymity of networking sites to inflict tears, sweat and blood.

The gory details of how Cynthia Osokogu, the 24-year-old daughter of Maj.-Gen. Frank Osokogu (rtd) died in the hands of her virtual friends is a grisly reminder of the dangers that lurk on the networking sites.

Internet technology has changed the way many people communicate but it has also come with profound disruptions in family and business lives.

 With access to the Internet access, anyone can use the social networks to communicate with family, friends and acquaintances globally.

Some of the most popular ones like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, My Space, and Google have turned most people into internet junkies.

Social networking is everywhere.

It is common to find parents, children, co-workers and even the elderly on the networks across the social media world on sites.

On these sites, there are no limits to what people share including their children birthdays, food they ate and how they sleep and exposing in the process their weaknesses.

Once information is posted, it becomes public.

At work, employers lose both money and time as some employees busy themselves sending even sensitive company information online.

This is “Cyberslacking” a term used to describe the use of the Internet and mobile technology during work hours for personal purposes.

Other concerns regarding “cyberslacking” include threats to network security, strain on organizational bandwidth, and can make employees vulnerable to fraud and sexual harassment, among other concerns.

Wrong use of the social networking sites can lead users to havens of scammers and crooks who target your money, freedom and even life.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently warned that con artists, criminals and other dishonest actors are exploiting the revolution in social connectivity for nefarious purposes.

The FBI reports that “predators, hackers, business competitors and foreign state actors troll social networking sites looking for information or people to target for exploitation.”

Users of social network sites may consider a few tips to help stay away from the dangers online.

First, they should be careful they accept friendship requests and be mindful of third party applications they add.

Don’t click on a link to a website, video or image that seems suspicious, even if it comes from someone you trust and use your privacy settings to control who sees your content and which content you make available.

Importantly, protect your images and change your password regularly.