Which of the following information is a security risk when posted publicly?

Published in

Magda On Cyber

9 min readMay 2, 2022

Information is data that has been processed in some way. When we talk about “information” in the digital world, we’re usually referring to bits that have been organized into a specific format, like a word document, an mp3 file, or an image.

Where do we post the most ?

We post the most information on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, a recent study found that the average person spends about two hours a day on social media websites. This is because people are increasingly looking for ways to stay connected with friends and family, as well as get their news and information.

What is the information we post on social media?

We post a carefully curated version of our lives on social media.

We choose to share the aspects of our lives that make us look good, or that we think will make us look good. We often leave out the bad parts, and we definitely don’t share anything that might make us look bad.

The information we post on social media can be pretty revealing. For example, if you post a photo of yourself at your current location, then anyone who views your profile can see where you are.

If you post a photo of yourself with your friends, then anyone who views your profile can see who your friends are. And if you post a tweet or Facebook status update, then anyone who views it can see what you’re up to.

Most people are probably not aware of the amount of personal data they are sharing when they post on social media. This includes things like their full name, birth date, current location, email address, and phone number. Even if someone is not explicitly sharing this information, it can often be inferred from other data that is shared. For example, if someone posts a photo of themselves at their current address, it is fairly easy to find out where they live.

It is important to be aware of the personal information you are sharing on social media and to consider the potential risks involved.

What information social media posts reveal?

When you post on social media, you are sharing information about yourself with the world. This information can include your name, location, and other personal data. While this may seem innocent enough, it can actually be quite dangerous.

Metadata

When you post something on social media, you’re not just sharing the content of your message — you’re also creating metadata. Metadata is data about data, and it can reveal a lot about you and your habits.

Most pictures these days are taken with digital cameras or cell phones, which add what’s called “metadata” to the photo. This metadata can include information like the date and time the picture was taken, where it was taken (using GPS data), and even the make and model of the camera used.

For example, every time you post something on Facebook, the platform collects data about when you posted, what kind of device you were using, where you were when you posted, and more. This information allows Facebook to build up a detailed profile of its users.

This metadata can be innocuous — like helping to show you more targeted ads — or it can be used for more sinister purposes. In some cases, this information can be used to track people’s movements.

When you upload a photo to social media, it typically includes some metadata. This can include the date and time the photo was taken, the GPS coordinates of where it was taken, and the device or camera used.

This metadata can be really useful in revealing details about the photo that you might not have noticed at first glance. For example, let’s say you see a photo of a person on vacation in an exotic location. But when you look at the metadata, you realize that the photo was actually taken several years ago on a different continent. Suddenly, the picture isn’t quite as impressive as it first appeared!

In some cases, this metadata can even reveal your home address!

If you’re not careful about security settings, anyone who views your photo could see this information.

Of course, not all photos include metadata.

This metadata can be also used by social media companies. In fact, there’s a ton of information that social media companies know about you. They know your name, your age, your interests, your location, who you’re friends with, and what you’re saying. They can also track your movements, what you’re looking at online, and what sort of things you’re interested in. All of this information is extremely valuable to advertisers, who use it to target ads specifically to you. And it’s not just social media companies that are collecting this information — pretty much any website that has advertising on it (which is most websites) is probably doing the same thing.

It can be pretty creepy to think about how much information these companies have on us.

Watch the below video to discover more about cyber awareness.

What are the risks of posting my information online?

There are certainly risks associated with posting your personal information online. However, there are also risks associated with not posting your information online. For example, if you’re applying for a job and potential employers can’t find any information about you online, they may think you’re not serious about the position or that you’re trying to hide something.

For example, consider a hypothetical situation where you post about a party you attended last weekend. You might include photos of yourself and your friends, as well as the address of the party location. Now imagine that one of your friends is someone with bad intentions. By posting this publicly accessible information, you have now given them everything they need to find and potentially hurt you or your friends.
This is just one example of how social media posts can reveal too much information.

Of course, there are also ways to reduce the risks associated with posting your information online. For example, you can limit the amount of personal information you share, only share it with trusted sites and individuals, and use privacy settings to control who sees what.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether the benefits of sharing your personal information online outweigh the risks.There are a few risks to keep in mind when posting your information online. The first is that you may be putting yourself at risk for identity theft or fraud. Criminals can find a lot of personal information about you if you post it publicly online.

Another risk is that you may be subject to stalkers or other harassers. Cyberbullying and online harassment are on the rise, and it can be very dangerous to have your personal information out there for people to find. Finally, you also run the risk of having your private information leaked by malicious hackers or other third parties.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves using someone else’s identity to steal money or gain other benefits. This can be done by obtaining sensitive information such as their Social Security number or date of birth, which can then be used to open new accounts or make fraudulent charges. Identity theft can also involve taking over an existing account and making changes to it, such as changing the billing address or bank account linked to it.

Identity theft is a serious problem that can have lasting consequences for its victims. If your identity is stolen, you may find yourself with unexpected bills, malicious damage to your credit score, and even legal problems if the thief commits a crime in your name.

Personal data is one the most common types of data stolen in online identity theft. This can include anything from your name and address to your social security number and bank account information. There are a few pieces of information that are particularly useful for identity theft online. Your name, date of birth, and Social Security number are the most important pieces of information in terms of establishing your identity. Other information that can be used to commit identity theft include your address, phone number, and credit card numbers.

One of the best ways to protect yourself from online identity theft is to be proactive about protecting your personal information. This means never sharing your personal information with anyone you don’t know or trust, and being especially careful about where you share it online. It also means using strong passwords with multi-factor authentication, and keeping your computer software up-to-date.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. It can involve sending mean text messages or emails, posting hurtful comments on social media pages, and sharing embarrassing photos or videos. Cyberbullying can be very harmful because it can follow a victim around 24/7 and can be sent to a lot of people very quickly.

Trolls can certainly cause cyberbullying. Most people think of trolls as those obnoxious commenters on the internet who seem to derive joy from provoking others and causing arguments. But the term “troll” can actually refer to a wider range of behavior. In general, a troll is someone who intentionally disrupts a community or conversation for their own amusement. This can take many forms, including but not limited to:

Making inflammatory or off-topic comments with the sole purpose of provoking a reaction from other users
Starting arguments or otherwise causing disruption in online forums and communities
Posting offensive or taboo content in an attempt to shock other users
Posing as another user in order to cause confusion or deceive others
Deliberately sabotaging collaboration

There are a few things you can do if you’re being cyberbullied. First, try to keep yourself safe and disconnected from the situation as much as possible. Block the person or people who are bullying you, and delete any messages or posts that are hurtful or threatening. You can also report the behavior to the website or social media platform where it’s happening.

Cyberbullying is a complex issue with many different facets, and often is targeting kids and teenagers. However, some general tips to help reduce the incidence of cyberbullying include:

teaching kids about digital citizenship and how to be responsible online citizens
encouraging kids to speak up if they see someone being bullied online or if they are being bullied themselves
setting rules and limits around device use and internet access, such as not allowing devices in bedrooms at night or having specific times during the day when internet access is allowed
having open conversations with kids about bullying and what it looks like, both online and offline
monitoring kids’ online activity (Without invading privacy)

Physical Harm

The internet can be a treacherous place. Just like the physical world, there are dangers that exist online which can lead to physical harm. Numerous crimes have been committed as a result of people meeting others online and sharing personal information, such as home addresses. In some cases, this has even resulted in homicide.

Personal data exposure can cause physical harm to the victims in a number of ways. For example, if the data includes information about individuals’ addresses, then stalkers could use this information to track down their victims and harass them. Additionally, if the data includes social security numbers or other personal identifiers, then scammers could use this information to steal people’s identities in the physical world.

It’s important to be careful about who you communicate with online and to never share personal information with someone you don’t know. If you are being harassed or threatened online, please reach out to law enforcement for help. There are also many resources available if you need assistance in dealing with internet safety issues.
Information that is not properly secured can be a major security risk. If you’re sharing sensitive data, it’s important to make sure that it’s secured and private before you post it publicly.
There are many ways to secure your information, and it’s important to use as many of them as possible. You should enable two-factor authentication whenever possible, and be careful about what links you click on and who you share your information with. It’s also important to keep your software up-to-date. Cybercriminals are constantly developing new ways to steal information, so make sure you’re building your cyber intuition !

Follow Magda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/m49D4ch3lly