Social media platforms offer a variety of ways to keep in touch with friends and family, share photos and information, and connect with like-minded individuals scattered across the globe. But, as with every new technology, cybersecurity should remain an important consideration. For there are those unscrupulous individuals who would seek to use social media for dishonest pursuits, and if you haven’t practiced proper social media security, they will often succeed.
Hackers and identity thieves in particular have devised numerous and clever methods of obtaining your personal information. Then they can either hack your social media accounts and other private accounts or even engage in identity theft and really cause a great deal of financial trouble. And since various platforms always seem to be changing their social media privacy policies, it is important to ensure you have basic cybersecurity measures in place in order to protect yourself.
How to Practice Good Social Media Security
To ensure that you are protected with social media privacy no matter what particular social media site you use, always practice these basic cybersecurity measures:
Use a Strong Password
Use Enhanced Social Media Security Options like Dual Factor Authentication.
Click here for our Dual Factor Social Media Cheat Sheet.
Make Your Accounts Private
Don’t Make Friends With People You Don’t Know
Don’t Post Personal Information
Be Careful of Public Wi-Fi
Use Antivirus Software
Venmo - Privacy Preferences & Location Tracking
Venmo is a popular app used by many to send and receive payments between individuals. Like most apps, default privacy and location settings typically favor the app developer, meaning they've set permissions to receive information about the activities you perform on their app and where you are when using the app.
To update your privacy/sharing settings in the app, make sure your app is updated to the latest release. Then, tap the “☰” icon in the upper left and tap “Settings”. From there select “Privacy”. Under “Default Privacy Setting” select your preferred default privacy setting. We recommend "Private" or "Friends". Additionally you can control the privacy for Past Transactions, by scrolling down under Privacy in the app and selecting Past Transaction and selecting your preferred setting. To control how Venmo Tracks your location:
For Apple
Go to Settings> Privacy >Location Tracking
A list will display all current apps with a toggle showing whether the location is being tracked for the app. Find Venmo and toggle off.
For Android
Go to Settings> Tap on “Apps & notifications.”
Open the Advanced heading and look for “App permissions.”
Tap on Location. A list will display all current apps with a toggle showing whether they have location tracking activated. Find Venmo and toggle off.
As always, the BLACKCLOAK Team is here to help. If you have any questions, email us at ask@blackcloak.io.
Thanks!
The BLACKCLOAK Team
BlackCloak Client Statistics
See where you fall within the BlackCloak Family
84%
Exposed Passwords
customers with passwords exposed on the Deep/Dark Web
38%
Compromised
customers with hacked computers, cameras, or phones
100%
Privacy Leaks
customer devices configured to overshare location and private data
We're actively monitoring your devices to ensure you're protected.
In the month of April, BlackCloak's tools analyzed nearly 20,000 unique applications across all of our customer's computers.
If you get a new device, email us so we can protect it.
