Cybersecurity Awareness Tip 19: Check your privacy settings on social media

Who Are You and How Can I Use Your Profile Against You?

Check the authentication options and enable 2-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication if possible.  Also check what personal information is collected (SwampGeek recommends to provide as little as possible), what is visible, and who can see your posts.

For Example

The privacy and security options supported by social media companies vary from basic (Minds) to complex (Facebook).  

Facebook's security and privacy settings seem almost intentionally complex, but also highlight the vast amount of data the company surveils.

• Facebook
  • Privacy Checkup (yes)
  • Settingss require a Master's degree
  • Posts require a Bachelor's degree
  • Supports two-factor authentication via OTP (One-Time Passwords), Facial and Biometric authentication on mobile devices
  • Can limit logins to certain devices and can use application-specific passwords
• Instagram
  • Privacy:
    • Private account (yes)
    • Hide commends (not sure who identifies offensive comments or how, but hiding them in generate is good)
    • Posts: hide like and view counts (yes)
    • Allow tags and @mentions from people you follow
    • Show Activity Status:  No
    • Who can add you to groups? Only people you follow
  • Security
    • Save Login Info: No
    • Two-factor Authentication: OTP (e.g. Authy, LastPass Authenticator) and SMS / Text message
  • Apps and Website: review and remove as appropropriate
  • Issue: you can view - but not remove - access data (i.e. advertising tracking data)
• LinkedIn
  • Partners & Services: check who has access to your valuable LinkedIn information / contacts
  • Visibility: Who can see / download your email address?
  • Third-party Data: 
  • Two-step verification via SMS or OTP (e.g. andOTP, Microsoft Authenticator)
• MeWe
  • Allow Chat Requests (from other members of a group): may no since it's difficult to verify the person is real
  • Limited to single-factor (password) authentication
• Minds
  • Two-factor authentication via OTP (e.g. Duo Mobile and Google Authenticator) or email code
• Twitter
  • Data Sharing and Off-Twitter Activity
  • Two-factor authentication via SMS, OTP (e.g. FreeOTP and Aegis Authenticator), U2F (e.g. Yubikey and others)
• Venmo
  • Privacy: Yes, Venmo shares your payment description with the world by default.  What could possibly go wrong? (Change the default privacy option to Private)
    • You can also change Privacy For Past Transactions to Private
  • Friends & social: will you REALLY benefit from giving Venmo access to your Facebook friends list?  'Cause Venmo sure will!
  • Supports single factor authentication via PIN or biometric (thumb print)

Resources

Social Pilot Guide to Social Media Privacy Settings