Many online games operate on a ‘free-to-play’ model, promising an engaging experience with no upfront cost. However, as children progress in these games, they are often tempted to make in-app purchases to unlock extra benefits and progress faster. These transactions often involve virtual currencies like gems or stars, which must be purchased with real money. This can lead young players to lose track of the financial implications of their gaming.

“In-app purchases are designed to be seamless, making it difficult for children, and sometimes even adults, to resist spending. The excitement of the game, coupled with enticing offers and virtual rewards, can make it easy to overlook the financial consequences,” said van Vlaanderen. “More importantly, these purchases also provide a potential entry point for cybercriminals to exploit personal information.”

Consumer spending on app stores is expected to reach USD$200 billion (approx. UGX735.5 trillion) by 2025 with in-app purchases forming a significant portion of that revenue.

With more young people gaming during school holidays, parents should be aware that cybercriminals may also use online gaming as a platform to access data, which can compromise both the child’s and parents’ personal information. “Whatever screen limits you decide on, kids should not be left unsupervised online, especially during the long year-end holiday period when scammers and criminals are well aware that youngsters are online and prone to boredom,” advises van Vlaanderen.

How cybercriminals use in-app purchases for identity theft

• Phishing and social engineering

Cybercriminals often create fake in-app offers that appear enticing to users. When clicked, these offers can redirect users to fraudulent websites where personal details, including payment information, are collected. This data is then used for identity theft.

• Malicious apps and updates

Fraudulent apps masquerading as legitimate games may collect personal information through hidden malware. “These malicious apps often come with fake reviews and ratings to make them appear credible,” notes van Vlaanderen. “Parents should exercise caution when downloading new games, ensuring that apps are from reputable developers.”

• Exploiting in-app payment systems

During in-app purchases, users are often prompted to enter payment information. If these payment systems are not adequately secured, cybercriminals can intercept the details which are later used for fraudulent purchases elsewhere.

Also read:

• • Your digital hygiene: Are you as clean as you think?
  • OP-ED: Building a robust cybersecurity readiness for Africa’s digital future
  • Strategic cybersecurity paradigms: Technological insights for Finnish online gaming participants

Key strategies to creating a safer digital experience

• Control purchase options

Parents can control in-app purchases by disabling them through device settings. For example:

• • On iOS devices, navigate to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions to block in-app purchases.
  • On Android devices, use the “Purchase Approvals” feature in Google Play to manage and approve transactions.
• Monitor subscriptions regularly

Keeping track of subscriptions helps parents spot any unexpected or unauthorized charges.

• Utilise comprehensive security solutions

Security tools like the ESET Parental Control App allow parents to manage in-app purchases, block inappropriate content, and protect children from threats on their devices. The ESET Home Security Ultimate solution also helps secure digital activities by removing metadata from shared images, reducing the risk of personal data being exposed.

Parents should first contact Apple or Google to request a refund if a child makes an unauthorized purchase. Both platforms offer dedicated support for reversing such transactions. Sometimes, the app developer may also need to be contacted to assist with the process. “Explaining that the purchase was made by a child without permission can improve the chances of a refund,” van Vlaanderen adds.

While there are risks associated with in-app purchases, many apps offer great benefits for kids. When used responsibly, digital devices and games can be educational, inspiring, fun, and safer for young people.

The post In-App Purchases Are Compromising Children’s Online Safety and Privacy appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Data theft is increasingly becoming prevalent as fraudsters use different techniques and new tricks to steal your information. Identity thieves can sell the information on the dark web, use it to open credit cards, or provide your details when they are arrested. Different identity theft crimes involve the unauthorized use of other people’s information. Fortunately, there are identity theft protection companies that can help keep your information safe from criminals. The best companies will send real-time-time alerts whenever fraud is detected, monitor your credit, and provide ID theft insurance in case of a data breach. Identifying the best company can seem like a challenging task since there are many providers.

Here are X tips for choosing the best identity theft company.

1.  Credit Monitoring

Many fraudsters steal other people’s identities to open credit accounts using the stolen information. This can affect your credit score when someone uses your details without your knowledge. Identity theft will monitor your credit score for suspicious activities or any changes not caused by you. The goal is to provide extra security to your credit. Choose a company that provides reporting from all major credit bureaus to safeguard your information.

2.  Reputation

More importantly, you need to consider the company’s reputation before you sign up for any of its programs. Reputable firms provide excellent customer service, and you can identify them by doing a quick online search. You can study customer reviews to gain insight into how each company operates. Additionally, you can visit top review sites about identity theft companies. Data analysts at SFGate.com reviewed the top identity monitoring companies to provide critical details that can help you make informed decisions. Many factors differentiate these companies, and this knowledge helps you get the best service.

When choosing an identification platform, you can seek recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. People closer to you can also provide referrals based on their experience with a specific identity theft protection firm. It becomes easier for you to narrow your choices when people with first-hand experience with a company refer you to it.

3.  Dark Web Monitoring

The dark web refers to a deeper section of the internet that is not accessible to public search engines. Instead, you need special software or authorization access to reach this part. The dark web is where personal information like Social Security numbers, login credentials, and credit card numbers are sold. A perfect identity theft company offers dark web monitoring and scans this section of the internet to identify fraudulent activities involving your information. When you explore your options, make sure the provider you choose provides web monitoring services. However, you should know that this service can impact the overall price of the plan you choose.

4.  Identity Theft Insurance

Most identity theft protection services provide identity theft insurance to protect you if your data is stolen. Most providers offer a cap of $1 million in reimbursements that should cover the legal fees involved and other related costs. Make sure you do your homework to choose a firm that offers the best insurance that suits your needs. Some of the platforms offer specialized protection services to consumers. However, each company provides different products designed to suit the needs of various people.

5.  Family Plans

Another important thing you should consider is to check if the company offers identity theft protection to your spouse, children, and parents. A family plan is crucial since it allows you to add your loved ones to your account without opening an account for each person. They can be added to your account which makes it easier for you to manage your account.

6.  Identity Theft Restoration

When your details have been stolen, you need dedicated support that can assist you through the identity restoration process. These services can be offered by specialists or counselors who will guide the steps you can take to find an attorney, contact credit agencies, and complete crucial paperwork. Some companies provide 24/7support to their clients.

ALSO READ: OUR DIGITAL IDENTITIES AND HOW TO PROTECT IT FROM IDENTITY THEFT

7.  Mobile Apps

Check if the provider has a mobile app for monitoring identity theft while on the go. You should check the app’s rating. You may also need to check a service provider with an app that consists of two-factor authentication. This method requires you to provide two different forms of information when you log into your account for maximum security.

8.  Social Security Number Monitoring

It is critical to enlist the services of a company that monitors your Social Security number. This number is unique and it should be 100% confidential, meaning that it should not be accessed by unauthorized persons. If hackers access it, they can commit different forms of fraud using your name. Monitoring social security numbers involves checking the dark web areas for suspicious activities.

9.  Cost

You should check the cost of the services you will get before you sign for a particular program. On average, the prices range from a few dollars up to about $30 per month depending on the package you choose. While other providers offer free services, you should be wary of them since they don’t provide enough to protect your data. When you get the price, you should work out a realistic budget. You must avoid companies that offer ambiguous prices since they may be crooks. Essentially, identity theft companies’ primary role is to protect the clients against issues like fraud, so you cannot be a victim.

Cases of data theft are on the rise, and criminals steal other people’s information to commit different types of crimes like fraud or theft. However, the good thing is that you can enlist the services of an identity theft company that can help keep your information safe from criminals. It is vital to choose the best provider that suits your needs.

ALSO READ: IDENTITY THEFT, STOLEN INFORMATION, AND PREVENTION

The post 9 Tips For Choosing The Best Identity Theft Company appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

What Can Individuals do to Protect Their Digital Identity?
Safeguard your Social Security Number. Resist requests to give it out unless it is actually necessary such as when you’re applying for government services.

Protect your data on your devices. Encrypt data on your computer and outgoing emails. Keep your antivirus software up to date and scan your devices regularly. Don’t use unprotected Wi-Fi networks.

If in doubt, don’t. Don’t use an iffy website to order a suspiciously cheap version of the product you want. Don’t download the free pirated ebook you were reluctant to spend five dollars on. Know that the jail-break software may include backdoors on your device for hackers.

Save your data locally such as an external drive you control instead of saving it to the cloud. This prevents your data from lost along with fifty million other people’s data when the cloud server is hacked or intercepted on its way to the cloud by hackers.

Know that apps are a weak point when it comes to IT security. Don’t install free and cheap apps that slurp up your data. (Tiktok and WeChat have been described as malware masquerading as social media services.)

Use a variety of email addresses, user IDs, and passwords. If you use the same ones across the board, someone who steals one can access almost all of your accounts.

Only use websites and apps that protect your personal information.

How Can Businesses Protect Their Customer Data?
Business owners, you must protect your customer’s digital identities. But how can you do this?

Use AI-powered tools that verify someone’s identity. For example, require the customer to pass a “liveness” check by sending a two-second video of them looking into the camera. This proves that the person asking for a loan or buying restricted items online is real, and you can compare that short video clip to the scanned ID. While this may not prevent a close relative from stealing someone’s ID, it will stop more than 95% of scammers from simply using someone’s login credentials and a scanned copy of their driver’s license.

Keep your IT security measures up to date. Keep the OS on your web server and anti-virus tools up to date. Monitor for suspicious activity on the server. If you’ve outsourced your web hosting, make sure the web host has up-to-date security measures.

If you hire someone to develop an app, verify that it follows standard IT security practices like encrypting password data.

The post Our Digital Identities and How to Protect it From Identity Theft appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

However, although technology helps us, it can also cause harm. For instance, identity theft is a serious issue.

Identity theft is not as straightforward as street crime. It’s not like walking down a dark alley and a robber accosting you with a gun. A hacker can steal your identity from miles away behind a computer screen if you’re not careful.

If you don’t know very much about identity theft, it’s high time you learned. This article will give you some facts on that subject and some tips for preventing this common occurrence.

Both Children and Adults Can Be Victims

If you believe that adults are the only ones who get their identities stolen, think again. As it turns out, kids have a 35% higher risk of identity theft than adults. Hackers might take a child’s identity so that they can:

• Apply for credit cards in their name.
• Make purchases.
• Commit tax fraud.

A child’s credit file is like a blank slate. An adult might have a low credit score, but a child will not.

Also, when a hacker steals a child’s identity, they can start to do things with it that the child and their family might not notice for years. They may only find out about the theft when the child turns eighteen.

Child Social Security Numbers Are a Goldmine

A hacker can use a child’s social security number for many illicit purposes. Once they have that, they can quickly come up with:

• A false name.
• A fake address.
• A fake age.

Once all that is set up, there are many things that they can do. Signing up for credit cards and purchasing high-end items is only the beginning. They can also sign up for government benefits.

A child’s social security number is like a blank check for a hacker to commit various fraudulent activities.

Hackers Can Use Stolen Information to Blackmail You

One of the reasons why hackers steal information from adults is not necessarily so they can take their identities. They might decide that it’s more valuable to extort money from the targeted individual if they’re rich and powerful.

For example, a hacker might access someone’s social media accounts, even hidden ones about which their spouse or partner does not know. Maybe this individual is having trysts with someone, or more than one person. They might be sexting or committing some type of white-collar crime.

If a hacker learns that you’re embezzling money or committing adultery, then they might approach you and demand payment for staying quiet. They don’t even need to steal your identity now: they know that you’ll pay them to keep that information from getting out.

The real issue is that even if you agree to their demands, they might reveal the information. Hackers often act maliciously, and they like to ruin successful individuals’ lives.

You Can Prevent Identity Theft by Only Using Secure Networks

Most identity theft comes from people being careless. One thing that they like to do is log onto sensitive websites in public places.

If you log into your bank account at Chase or Ally from a coffee shop, using their free, unsecured Wi-Fi, then that’s asking for trouble. Some oblivious people don’t realize that a hacker can very easily steal their information that way.

You can prevent this by only using your home network, where you control the access. You can also set up a VPN, also called a virtual private network.

This is where you extend a private network across a public one. Your online transactions are almost untraceable this way. Your VPN sets up secure, encrypted connections that are safer than a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Use Different Passwords

Another way that many hackers access your information is by figuring out your weak passwords and exploiting them. That is why you should always have different passwords for all your accounts.

Some people use the same password for every one of the bank accounts, social media platforms, etc. This is a mistake. They also make their passwords simple.

They often use their birthdays, children’s birthdays, etc. The better option is to use a random password generator. This will generate a long, strong password with random numbers, letters, and symbols.

These are nearly impossible for hackers to crack.

You Can Also Set Up Multiple Authentications

You can also add an additional authentication step to get into your bank accounts and profiles. This may seem like a bit of a pain, but it will only take a moment for you, and you can breathe a lot more easily, knowing that no one is bypassing your security.

You can easily set up alerts so that if any unauthorized device tries to access your accounts or profiles, you’ll get an alert sent to your phone or email.

You Can Watch Out for Phishing Spam

Another way that you can avoid hackers is never to open any emails from senders that you do not recognize. If there is an attachment, then that’s even worse.

Some hackers make emails that look very convincing. They’ll say that it’s from Netflix or eBay, and they’re suspending your account.

If you do have a Netflix or eBay account and you feel like this could be legit, then you can log in on your own and check it out. Usually, though, your email service should pick these up as phishing spam and put them in the appropriate folder. Rarely do these fraudulent emails get through to your white list.

While you should watch out for identity theft, if you take some simple precautions, you should be able to avoid it. If there is ever a credit card charge that you didn’t make or a deduction from your bank account, notify the bank or credit card company immediately. They can work with you to resolve the situation expediently.

The post Identity Theft, Stolen Information, and Prevention appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

However, in this article, we are about to uncover some realistic ways to prevent identity theft and other cybersecurity threats while using the internet regularly.

Keep your Social Security number safe

Protecting your social security number can be one of the vital steps to prevent serious cybersecurity threats like identity theft. Always keep it in custody and never carry with you if unnecessary. If someone is asking for it, make sure it is really necessary to show or communicate with.

Be cautious in public

Hackers and cybercriminals are smart these days and can get personal details and information while you are talking to someone over a phone call. They can also trace your important PINs by looking over your shoulder when you are entering to withdraw money from ATM machine.

Protect your computer

If you often use your computer for confidential communication and financial transaction, keep it safe by using a firewall, anti-viruses, spam filters (for email) and anti-spyware apps and software. Also, keep your windows operating system and other software up to date in order to reduce the chances of spam and cyber security threats.

Ignore spurious links, messages and emails

Don’t click or respond to any bogus links, media files (that can be clickable with a spam link) or any other attachment received by unfamiliar senders either in an email inbox or via social media profile. In this way, you can keep yourself away from identity theft and other serious security issues.

Give importance to your trash

As it is mentioned above that hackers and criminals are smart now, they can acquire confidential information and details like your name, account number or credit card details from dumpsters who are full with ATM receipts and credit card bills. Always carry all the receipts and invoices with you and avoid throwing them in public bins or on road.

Check your inbox every day

Whether you are going to enjoy vacation or away from your computer due to some business issues, try to keep an eye on all your online accounts including email inbox. In this way, you can prevent any other person for using your email or an online account.

Email Phishing

It is the process of sending bogus emails (that usually looks real) from criminals with an intention to gain access to your personal information, name, social security number or any other private data that can help them hack your accounts or in identity theft. Such emails can conveniently be controlled by employing a reliable spam filtering service or any other email security solution. In this way, you can keep your email inbox clean from spam emails and chances of identity theft would also be reduced.

Use strong passwords

Selection of the weak and default passwords for your online accounts is an open invitation to hacker and criminals as weak and default passwords are easy to break and hack as well. Whether it is the social media profile or an online banking account to access your account with the internet, always choose tricky and strong passwords to keep hackers away from your accounts. You can make your password strong by making it a blend of words, symbols and numbers. Also, never use old passwords for your accounts to prevent hacking and identity theft as well.

Purchase from secured sites

When it comes to buy stuff online, you have to be very careful as you may need to share your credit card details to make payment for purchases. Always check whether the site is using SSL certificate to encrypt the data or not. On another hand, prefer to shop from online stores or ecommerce sites with reliable payment options like PayPal or Google Checkout. In this way, chances of scam are always reduced as you can dispute the payment via paypal if the seller is not providing the services or products as agreed.

The post Ways to Prevent Identity Theft and Other Cyber Security Threats appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

However, with two thirds (68%) saying they would be comfortable allowing employees to use their social media credentials on company resources, Gemalto’s research suggests that personal applications (such as email) are the biggest worry to organizations.

Convergence of Personal and Workplace Identities
The enterprise and consumer worlds are merging closer together, with enterprise security teams under increasing pressure to implement the same type of authentication methods typically seen in consumer services, such as fingerprint scanning and iris recognition.

Six in ten (62%) believed this was the case, with a similar amount (63%) revealing they feel security methods designed for consumers provide sufficient protection for enterprises. In fact, over half of respondents (52%) believe it will be just three years before these methods merge completely.

Consumer breaches impacting enterprise security
Identity theft accounts for 64% of all data breaches across the globe [1], and consumer service breaches continue to rise, resulting in almost nine in ten (89%) enterprises addressing their access management security policies.

Half of enterprises have implemented extra training (49%) to allay their security concerns, 47% increased security spend, and 44% allocated further resources.

Employee expectations around usability and mobility are affecting how enterprises approach authentication and access management.  Nearly half of respondents stated that they are increasing resources and spending on access management. Deployment rates are also increasing:  62% expect to implement strong authentication in two years’ time – up from 51% of respondents who said the same thing last year, and nearly 40% responded they will implement Cloud SSO or IDaaS within the next two years.

Enterprises are clearly seeing the benefits, with over nine in ten (94%) using two-factor authentication(http://APO.af/59rCMK) to protect at least one application and nearly all respondents (96%) expecting to use it at some point in the future.

Mobility security still a challenge
As more enterprises become mobile, the challenges in protecting resources while increasing flexibility for employees working on the move increases. Despite an increasing amount of businesses enabling mobile working, a third (35%) completely restricted employees from accessing company resources via mobile devices and nine in ten (91%) are at least part-restricting access to resources. This is backed up as half of businesses (50%) admit security is one of their biggest concerns to increasing user mobility.

In order to protect themselves against threats from increased mobility, enterprises are still most likely to be using usernames and passwords – two thirds of users at respondents’ organizations are using this authentication method, on average. Currently, 37% of users at respondents’ organizations are required to use two-factor authentication to access corporate resources from mobile devices, on average. However, like the rise for access while in the office, on average, respondents believe this will increase to over half (56%) in two years’ time.

“From credential sharing to authentication practices, it’s clear that consumer trends are having a big impact on enterprise security,” said François Lasnier, Senior Vice President, Identity Protection at Gemalto. “But businesses need to make sure their data isn’t compromised by bad personal habits. It’s encouraging to see deployment of two-factor authentication methods on the rise, and increased awareness for cloud access management (http://APO.af/8eGn3O), as these are the most effective solutions for businesses to secure cloud resources and protect against internal and external threats. For IT leaders, it’s important that they keep pushing for security to be a priority at the board level, and ensure that it’s front of mind for everyone in an organization.”

The post Identity theft accounts for 64% of all data breaches across the globe appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Remember, just this year, the White House revealed that it was a victim of cyber crime. Russians, it’s believed, hacked the White House and accessed President Obama’s private calendar. Hackers also stole Social Security numbers from millions of federal employees.

The 12.7 million? That’s how many Americans were victims of ID fraud in 2014. Those victims had $16 billion stolen from them in just one year, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.

So, we thought it was time to boil down some of the best advice you can follow to stay safe. Do these five steps and you’ll greatly improve your chances of not becoming the next victim of ID theft or cyber crime.[related-posts]

Password manager
If there were only one way for you to protect yourself from cyber crimes and ID theft, we’d tell you, “Change your passwords. Often.” That’s something almost every cyber security expert agrees on.

Many cyber crimes affect people with easy-to-remember passwords. We’ve told you before that a lot of people use similar passwords, like “password” or “123456.” Cyber criminals won’t even break a sweat trying to figure those out.

What you need is an incredibly long and complex password, say 10 to 20 characters long. It’s best to use a complicated mixture of numbers, symbols, uppercase letters and lowercase letters. Plus, be sure to have a different password for all your programs.

Whew! Too much? OK, breathe easy.

There’s an easy way to create and store complicated passwords. They’re called password managers, like KeePass or Dashlane.

These are often free, or low-cost, tools that securely save all your passwords, and help you create new ones. All you have to do is remember one really strong master password. Use a lot of letters, numbers and symbols for that master password.

Software updates
You know those little boxes that pop up on your computer screen saying something like, “An update is ready to install?” Don’t think of them as being annoying.

It’s really important that you update your software programs. A lot of times, those pop-up boxes are for fixes to serious security vulnerabilities.

Every major computer company, like Microsoft and Adobe, regularly issues software updates and patches. Some updates are automatic, like on Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system. But many updates and patches need your OK before they’re installed.

If you’re worried that you’ve missed important software updates, and who hasn’t, don’t worry. There are apps to check for software that needs to be updated.

For example, download the free SUMo app. It’ll show you when software updates are available, and it’ll let you know which updates you still need to install.

Two-step verification
Protecting yourself online starts with your password, of course. But even super-complex passwords like the ones described above aren’t foolproof.

To get closer to foolproof, you’ll want to make it tougher for cyber criminals to steal your ID. One great way to do that is with a two-step verification. You’ve probably come across these before, although you may not realize what they’re called.

When you’re banking online, have you ever gotten a message from the bank saying, essentially, that your password isn’t enough to get in? It prompts you for another code that you get as a text message or phone call. Once you type in that additional code, it’ll let you in.

That’s a two-step verification, or two-step authentication, and all the major companies use it for online transactions, or even social media sites like Facebook. At worst, it’s a minor inconvenience.

At best, it’s keeping the hackers away. Even if they have your password, it’s highly unlikely they’ll also have your phone.

Setting up two-step verification on sites like Facebook and Google is pretty easy. On Facebook, for instance, click the little upside down triangle to the right of Find Friends. Choose Settings, then click on the Security badge on the left. Click on Login Approvals, then put a check in the box that says, Require a security code. Click Get Started and follow the simple instructions.

For more details on creating two-step verification for Apple, Google and Microsoft, click here.

Use https instead of http
Want to be secure on the Internet? Don’t want the government invading your privacy, or hackers stealing your ID?

Of course, you don’t. There’s an easy way to block much of that from happening, and it involves adding the letter “S” to the letters “HTTP.” You sometimes see those before “www” on websites; even if you don’t, they’re there.

HTTPS means that your connection to that site is encrypted so no one can see what you’re sending or receiving. Many sites now use HTTPS by default, but not every site does. You can force them to with the browser plug-in HTTPS Everywhere.

Security software
These days, hackers are loading every device you’ve got with malware and viruses. It doesn’t matter if you have a PC or a Mac, an iPhone or an Android phone. You’ve either been hacked, or will be. Hackers will try to install malicious software onto your device, to get access to your ID, your personal conversations and even the webcam on your computer.

But there’s good news. Despite what seems like never-ending threats, there are powerful security programs to protect yourself. You can find ones that are free and ones that are paid. The main difference is the paid ones have more features, although nearly all of them are going to offer good basic protection.

[Fox News]

The post Protect yourself from cyber-crime appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?

Your Birth Date and Place
Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you’ve just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.

Vacation Plans
There may be a better way to say “Rob me, please” than posting something along the lines of: “Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!” on Twitter. But it’s hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don’t invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you’ll be gone.

Home Address
Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn’t even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren’t confident that their “friends” were really just people they know.

Confessionals

You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for “misuse” of social media.

Password Clues

If you’ve got online accounts, you’ve probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom’s maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? You’re giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.

Risky Behaviors
You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there’s no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.

Yahoo News

The post 6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.