Cascading details about Facebook collecting and sharing their users' personal information are splashing across news headlines. Friedman CyZen’s cyber security advisors share necessary steps you can take today to protect your privacy.
Review all the information you provide--especially on your profile.
The following information is always publicly available on Facebook:
| Name | Gender | User ID |
| Profile Picture | Networks | Age Range |
| Cover Photo | Username | Language/Country |
Think before you post.
Anything you post to the internet universe remains forever, but carefully configuring your privacy settings lays the foundation for a more secure profile.
Step 1: Head to your Tools and Settings to manage your Facebook privacy. Under Privacy Settings, you can control who sees your posts and how others can search for you via Facebook and other tools.
Step 2: Visit your Timeline and Tagging controls to manage who can post on and see your timeline. This feature also controls who can view items that you are tagged in and control whether others can tag you.
Don't overlook applications. When dealing with third party platforms, keep a close eye on the information that can be accessed without your approval. Frequently, applications request a number of permissions from the user that have nothing to do with the actual platform's function.
Step 1: View the information that Facebook automatically provides the app.
Step 2: Determine what actions the app is capable of performing as many, for example, some apps can post content on your behalf.
Step 3: Choose the information the application can use and then learn how the application can use the information being collected.
Step 4: Remove unwanted information collected by the app. Note that even when you remove an application, the platform may still have all the data that was collected prior.
Payments—we know, possibly the most obviously terrifying part of information collected.
Avoid using Facebook credentials to log into third party platforms. Facebook tracks financial payments made through the platform, including in-game purchases made with applications.
If used advantageously, Facebook is an incredible storytelling tool and way to stay connected with people you care about — everywhere. However, if you overlook these simple steps to safeguard your information, you may unintentionally compromise your personal wellbeing.
Contact your Friedman CyZen cyber security advisor to answer any questions you may have.
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