Think twice before you put those envy-inducing vacation photos up on Facebook for everyone to enjoy
By Katrina Caruso
Are you the type of person who shares everything on Facebook and Instagram? You might want to cut it out—at least while you’re out of town.
Security experts warn that sharing too much information while travelling can put you at risk and make your home a target for burglars. Many small-time criminals have taken to using social media to find out when people are out of their homes, and when people share travel plans or those photos from their trip to Iceland or the Cayman Islands, they’re announcing that the house back home is empty.
You may think you’d be safe if you don’t post your address on social media, but oversharing info can still pose a threat. The best practice? Wait until you’re home to share your photos. The likes and heart reactions to that cocktail on the beach can wait.
Other ways to protect yourself online:
– Set your profile on all social media to private and make sure that any personal information or photos that you share are available only to those on your friends list.
– Go back through previous year’s posts and do a clean-up of anything too personal.
– Remove your address, phone number, and e-mail address from public view (or remove the data entirely from your profiles).
– Rethink the way you share information and try to be more careful with personal data online.
– Don’t share your location—checking into a bar or tagging yourself at Playa Del Carmen isn’t necessary.
– Consider getting a VPN (virtual private network) to block your location and IP address.
Photo: iStock/Wachiwit.
