VILSECK, Germany -- To bolster the impact of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Army Europe Information Technology Training hosted a cybersecurity briefing, here, Oct. 22.
The session, led by James Slatton, AE-ITT trainer, highlighted both the hidden and obvious dangers of putting personal information online.
Slatton focused on Facebook, the Internet's "800-pound gorilla," and how cybercreeps pull personal data from social networking sites.
"Hackers have been out there since the get-go, even before we knew the internet existed," said Slatton. "What you have to do is make sure you're in control of Facebook so it's not in control of you."
Basic information that many unthinkingly put on social media can be gathered by hackers and computer programs designed to cull enough personal data to steal users' identities.
Every click, like, comment and follow is further mined for data from companies that use Facebook for advertising, explained Slatton. These interactions are shared multiple times, making users' information vulnerable to malicious entities.
"More public sites are using Facebook to collaborate with users than ever before," said Slatton. "The military is the biggest target. The nefarious element out there is doing what it can to neutralize the military and that means targeting Soldiers and families."
To stay protected, Slatton recommends users remember that all posted information is public -- even with careful privacy settings -- and that not everyone is a friend.
He also advised social media users to keep private conversations private; post appropriate photos; only add friends known personally and leave out phone numbers, addresses and birth dates.
Parents should also keep a close eye on children's internet activity and report when their child is being targeted by bullies or a potential predator.
"I know this may seem like overkill," said Slatton. "But, it's only overkill until something bad happens to you."
For details on how to set social media privacy settings and tips on what actions increase vulnerability, head here:
Facebook Smart Card: http://issuu.com/BavariaMilitaryCommunity/docs/facebook_smart_card__2_
Twitter Smart Card: http://issuu.com/BavariaMilitaryCommunity/docs/twitter_smart_card
LinkedIn Smart Card: http://issuu.com/BavariaMilitaryCommunity/docs/linkedln_smart_card
Google + Smart Card: http://issuu.com/BavariaMilitaryCommunity/docs/google__smart_card__2__b1d21dfb123b63
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