[oagitm] MS-ISAC - Cyber Security Newsletter Tip - July 2012 - Managing Your Digital Footprint: Think Before You Post
- From: "MASSE Theresa A * CIO ESO" <theresa.a.masse@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "oagitm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <oagitm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:23:05 +0000
OAGITM Members:
Please brand and distribute the July MS-ISAC newsletter in your organization.
Regards,
Theresa A. Masse
Chief Information Security Officer
State of Oregon
Department of Administrative Services
Enterprise Security Office
503-378-4896
Data Classification 2 - Limited
Confidentiality Notice: This message, including any attachments or links, may
contain privileged, confidential and/or legally protected information. Any
distribution or use of this communication by anyone other than the
intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
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this message and then delete all copies of the original communication,
including any attachments and/or links.
Just as a reminder - these newsletters are sent to you in template form. We do
this so that you can add your organization's name/logo and your name to the
newsletter.
INSERT
Your
LOGO
{INSERT Organization}
Monthly Security Tips
NEWSLETTER
July 2012
Volume 7, Issue 7
Managing Your Digital Footprint: Think Before You Post
From the Desk of {Insert Name}
If you're not familiar with the phrase "digital footprint", it's important that
you become aware of what it is and how it impacts you. Digital footprint refers
to the compilation of content on the Internet that can be associated with you
and, thus, potentially available by anyone performing a search on you. The list
of possible content visible online is endless: your family videos on YouTube,
your comments on a news article or blog, vacation photos on Flickr, your posts
on Facebook and Twitter.
Why should you be concerned about the information available online about you?
While these pieces of information may seem innocuous on an individual basis,
when pieced together they create a composite profile that could be used by
cyber criminals. The more information out there, the more information that is
accessible for social engineering and ID theft scams. Additionally, this
content may be accessed at some point by an outside source doing an assessment
of you, whether it be for college admissions or a new job.
With so much of your information in so many places online, can you do anything
to manage your digital footprint? Yes. By reviewing the tips below, you can
help minimize your online exposure and possibly reduce the risk of identity
theft. Keep in mind, once information is posted on the Internet, sometimes it
may be impossible to remove it.
Map Your Footprint
Before you can start reducing and cleaning your digital footprint, you should
know what it currently looks like. Make a list of all the social networking
sites that you've signed up for, any websites where you've had an account in
the past, and all the usernames or aliases you have used on the web.
Using your name, other personal details, and the information from your list, do
a few searches on multiple search engines and you'll get a good idea of how big
or small your digital footprint is.
Take Control of Your Privacy
Once your footprint is mapped, you can start to clean it up. Perhaps you found
a few social networking posts that were available to the public, or maybe a few
photos that you would rather not have everyone see. Most social networking
sites have varying levels of privacy controls, so you can change a few settings
and restrict access. Think before you post.
Manage Your Interactions with Others
Don't forget others may be able to see whom you are associated with. Be careful
about how you interact with others online. Be selective about which venues you
participate in. If you regularly contribute to blogs or message boards,
consider how your statements might be interpreted by others. Be cautious about
referencing your place of employment or your job function as this might be used
for social engineering and other scams.
Use Caution on Social Media and Networking Websites
Use privacy controls available to limit and control access to your information.
Do not post any inappropriate photos, comments, status updates or other
content. Think before you post.
Recommendations
? Clean up your footprint. Remove any photos, content and links that
are inappropriate or reveal too much information.
? Be selective about who you authorize to access your information.
? Monitor comments made by others.
? Consider using the "block comments" feature or setting your social
networking profile to "private" so only designated friends can view it.
? Think before you post.
For More Information
MaximumPC: How To Erase Your Digital Footprint:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_erase_your_digital_footprint
Washington Post: Beware of Privacy Policies: Time to Clean Up Your Digital
Footprint:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/beware-of-privacy-policies-time-to-hide-your-digital-footprint/2012/01/31/gIQADI7PnQ_story.html
The information provided in the Monthly Security Tips Newsletters is intended
to increase the security awareness of an organization's end users and to help
them behave in a more secure manner within their work environment. While some
of the tips may relate to maintaining a home computer, the increased awareness
is intended to help improve the organization's overall cyber security posture.
This is especially critical if employees access their work network from their
home computer. Organizations have permission and are encouraged to brand and
redistribute this newsletter in whole for educational, non-commercial purposes.
Brought to you by:
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