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That means that it’s just a better overall idea to keep the specifics of your vacation plans under wraps,
and only inform the people who really need to know. Posting a status update like, “Heading to North
Carolina for one week on July 15th!” probably isn’t a good idea.

3. Be vague about where you live -- Similar to the rule about your birthday, keep your address to a
minimum. In fact, keeping it to just the state you live in would be the best solution. Listing your
hometown is alright, particularly if it’s a big town, but under no circumstances should you list an address
or even a street name.

That’s valuable information to someone trying to steal either your identity or belongings.

4. Use privacy settings to filter what people can see -- Facebook actually has a really robust and highly
customizable privacy system that can be adjusted to hide just about anything from anybody. Whether it’s
pictures, status updates or the personal information you have listed about yourself, you can hide it from
as many or as few people as you want.

Everyone should take the time to get familiar with these privacy settings and adjust them for their
Facebook page, especially since Facebook tends to be the most information-rich site.

As a general rule, it’s best to keep all information available to just those that are on your friends list.

Minimal Approach

The safest way to deal with online identity theft is to have a minimalist approach when it comes to how
much information is revealed, particularly on social networking sites. While you don’t necessarily have to
starve yourself of the benefits of these sites, just be sure to use best practices and stay intentional about
hiding sensitive information.

About The Author

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer and business owner who always takes
the necessary precautions to protect herself, her family and business from
any potential identity theft.

She also educates others on how to protect their own information while
online.

Follow her on Facebook today to learn more.

94 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2013 Edition
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