The Four Frequent Cybersecurity Mistakes in Social Networks

Currently, between the ages of 12 and 70 are Internet users, and 85% are users of social networks, according to a survey. In other words, we are talking about 28 million people for whom social networks are already part of their day-to-day life, which often takes up more time than desired.

But, although these platforms can be fun and are a very pleasant way to share experiences with friends, we must keep sight of their cyber risks, which can often involve danger. Social networks are one of the main targets of cybercriminals, and knowing their techniques is the only way to adequately defend yourself.

Where should we pay more attention? What are the most frequent errors? The top four to help us focus our attention when using our social media accounts:

1. Sharing personal information: This is a very common and dangerous mistake that happens every day on social media. The theft of information is one of the main objectives of cybercriminals; thanks to that data, they can launch numerous phishing campaigns or even carry out economic thefts from the victims. Suppose we add that most social network users use the same credentials to access all of them. 

In that case, the fact of stealing the credentials of one gives the possibility of doing it to others. It is essential not to share personal data and to use different passwords to minimize damage in the event of an attack’s victim.

2. Please pay attention to an unsolicited password change email: There are so many social platforms currently available that there may be an incident with one. In this situation, attackers take advantage. If an email arrives to change the password, even if it has not been requested, the first impulse is to click on the link and change the password. 

This is very dangerous as it can give cybercriminals access to the entire account. To avoid this, you must go directly to the page (do not click on the link in the email) and renew the password from the same page (and from other accounts where you have the same).

3. Click on any link: Cybercriminals often use links to redirect users towards their attacks. An email or SMS containing a simple link can be the perfect gateway to include a malicious link. To avoid any risk, it is important to go from the search engine to the social network website that writes the email or message, so it is much easier to avoid deception.

4. Do not check URLs: Manipulating a URL to make it look like the original is another of the main techniques used by attackers to steal data from Internet users. Through this manipulation, they can get a user to enter a website that they believe to be trustworthy, such as their Facebook page, asking them to change their password, redirect them to a cloned website and steal all the information possible there. 

To avoid this, it is very important to review the URLs accessed, checking that the website has the SSL Certificate; its beginning is recognized by checking that it has an “s” in the acronym https://. Thanks to this technology, confidential information sent between two systems are protected and prevent cyber criminals from observing the transferred data, including information that could be considered personal.