What you should Never post online.

Ever get happy and overshare?  We all do but we really should beware what we overshare online.  Do not leave yourself open for being robbed or Identity Theft.  Also, I try not to post many pictures of the kids because it leaves them open to predators too.  Here is my top 5 list.


What I never share:

1.  When I am going on Vacation (at least before hand)
2.  When I am going to the doctor or will be out of the house.
3.  I never share my personal info : address or phone numbers
4.  I never share my credit info
5.  Kids photos, I try to post as little as possible of my son.





Here is what Samuel Bowling says: 

What Not To Post: Things You Should Never Put Online.

If you were approached by someone you didn't know, and out of the blue that person began asking you detailed questions about yourself, how would you respond?  If they wanted to know the names of your children, where they went to school, or about your daily schedule, would you volunteer that information? I think I can say with confidence that the vast majority of us would not.  There are certain details about ourselves that we intentionally protect for our own safety, and the safety of our families.  Yet as absurd as it might seem that anyone would share these things with a total stranger, millions of people do so online each and every day.

Staying safe online requires being intentional in what you post and what you don’t.  One thing that you should never share online are your vacation plans.  In the excitement and anticipation leading up to a trip, it’s tempting to share all of the details with your friends and family.  However, knowing how long you will be away from home would be a huge benefit to a burglar.  Or worse yet, knowing exactly when and where your family plans to be located is key information for someone wishing to commit an assault or other bodily crime against you.  

Another item you should never post online is your address or phone number.  It takes very little information for someone to begin stealing your identity.  Just having these two pieces of data will open the door wide enough for an identity thief to squeeze through.  The more personal information that you put in reach of others, the easier you make it for another person to “become” you online.  

Finally, it is advisable to never post pictures of your children online.  Sharing your kids’ photos, while seemingly innocent and fun, can expose them to danger in multiple ways.  First, it shows what they look like, making it easier for a stranger to approach them, call them by name, and pretend to know them.   Second, it creates the potential for Cyber-Bullying.   That picture you think is so adorable might be copied from your page, given a new caption and re-posted in a way that mocks or makes fun of your child.  You are your child’s first line of defense in guarding against these sorts of malicious attacks.

As soon as any type of information is posted online, you no longer have full control over what is done with it.  The data generally lives on someone else’s server.  Whether you post to an internal server at your workplace, or to a cloud server such as those used by social media sites, that data resides on a system which you cannot control.   Vulnerabilities in that sever, whether from outside attack or internal eavesdropping, can put your information at risk; in turn, that can put you at risk.

When choosing a server hosting company, it’s important to make sure that they have all the proper security measures in place so as to keep yourself protected from cyber criminals. The higher the security settings and the more attentive the IT staff, the safer you will be if there is an unavoidable security breach. There are many different options out there, with varying service and product offerings depending on your needs. One great option is a company named SingleHop, who offers a wide variety of IT infrastructure needs, including secure servers, and are willing to grow and shift depending on your needs.

Remaining proactive when it comes to online safety is a vital key to keeping you and your family safe.   Remember that once your data is stored in the cloud, there is no way for you to track who has it.   Be sure to keep an eye on the privacy settings of whatever site you are using and always keep an eye out for someone trying to get you to offer more detailed information.  Finally, remember that the more details you give, the easier it is for someone else to misuse them against you.

~~ this post was a voluntary post and no monetary compensation was received.