Sincerely,
Iowa Secretary of State
With every social media account you sign up for, picture you post, & status you update, you are sharing information about yourself with the world. Take these simple steps to connect with confidence & safely navigate the social media world.
1. NEVER CLICK & TELL
Seemingly random details are all a criminal needs to know to target you, your loved ones, & your physical belongings. Keep personal information such as your full name, address, birthday, or even vacation plans off the Internet. Disable location services that allow anyone to see where you are, & where you aren't, at any given time.
2. REPORT SUSPICIOUS OR HARASSING ACTIVITY
Work with your social media platform to report & possibly block harassing users. Report an incident if you've been a victim of a cybercrime. Local & national authorities are ready to help you.
3. THERE IS NO 'DELETE' BUTTON
Just because you delete a post or picture from your profile seconds after posting, chances are someone still saw it.
4. UPDATE YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS
Set the privacy & security settings to your comfort level for information sharing. Disable geotagging, which allows anyone to see where you are, & where you aren't, at any given time.
5. CONNECT ONLY WITH PEOPLE YOU TRUST
While some social networks might seem safer for connecting because of the limited personal information shared through them, keep your connections to people you know & trust.
For more information about how you can Do Your Part to #BeCyberSmart, visit www.cisa.gov/ncsam