Social Media Users: Profiles In Neglect

Even though using social media can significantly increase the risk of people being defrauded through identity theft, most consumers do little or nothing to protect themselves, according to a recent study by the Ponemon Institute, a think tank that conducts research on data protection and information security.

Ponemon’s study found that, although more than 80 percent of respondents expressed concern about their security while using social media Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, more than half of those same people admitted they take no steps to protect themselves.

The study found that:
• about 65 percent of social media users do not set privacy or security settings on “high” on their social media sites.
• more than 90 percent of users do not review a given Web site’s privacy policy before using it.
• about 40 percent of all respondents share their physical home address through social media applications.

Possibly most surprising were two other results:
• About 44 percent of individuals said if they discovered that a social media provider did not adequately protect their privacy or security, they still would continue to use the site.
• And people who have been victims of identity theft are just as likely to be lax in securing their personal information online. Results from identity theft victims and non-victims were virtually identical in Ponemon’s study.

“The study results are extremely telling, especially about measures that users take, or fail to take, in order to protect their identity while using social networks,” Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute, said in a release announcing study results. “I was surprised that those who had experienced identity theft in the past weren’t taking stronger measures to protect their identity. No matter who you are, if you want to increase social networking safety, you must take the necessary steps to protect your information.”

Identity Theft 911.org wrote about the dangers of using social media in its April 2010 newsletter. Identity Theft 911 experts recommend people take several precautions when using social media Web sites:
• Use strong passwords comprised of numbers, letters and symbols and change them often. Use different passwords for your social Web sites, personal life and financial life.
• Don’t accept friend requests from strangers in a misguided attempt to pad your Facebook or other social media Web site numbers.
• Be careful of clicking on links on social media Web sites. They could lead to malicious code being installed on your computer.
• Limit how much of your personal identifying information — including your address, your birth date or birthplace — is posted on these sites. Over-sharing provides data that thieves can use to defraud you.