While Mariah Carey lounged on vacation in Capri and Italy, and luxuriated in a $20 million mansion in the Hamptons, back home in Atlanta, her mansion was broken into and robbed. The robber, it’s assumed, saw on social media that the pop singer’s home was vacant and took the opportunity to break into her $5.6 million home. In Carey’s case, the photos she posted online to her 11 million followers depicted information weaponized by bad actors.
Social media presents dangers unilaterally for celebrities, high net worth individuals, and every-day people alike. The amount of information bad actors can compile from social media is astounding: GPS tracking in photos provides information on where the photo was taken – putting your home, vacation location, and more at risk. Backgrounds of photos can depict heirlooms, furniture, and expensive at-home technology – piquing the attention of potential burglars.
Social media platforms don’t have a legal obligation to protect their users: Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, social media platforms aren’t obligated to take responsibility for the ramifications of content posted. This must become common knowledge so that consumers take responsibility for the content they post; when posting something publicly, your life is in public view.
With so much of our lives documented online, it can be hard to decipher what is and isn’t a security threat. Below are steps you can take right now to safeguard your digital profiles – especially while away from home:
Save your vacation pictures for a #TBT
While tempting to share posts in the moment, posting pictures after vacation is the way to go, bottom line. Studies show that one in twelve people are targets of burglaries based on their social media posts. Building carousel posts or collage are a fun – and safe – way to share your vacation photos once back home.
Safety necessitates vigilance and dedication
With privacy settings on social media platforms constantly changing, users have to frequently check them to make sure that their profiles uphold the highest levels of privacy and security. With a year-over-year increase in cyberattacks already from the first four months of 2022, individuals are increasingly relying on third-party cybersecurity platforms to protect them from the identity, financial, reputational, and physical risks presented through digital information. This is a best practice to monitor the publicly-available information on you and to keep tabs on what the internet knows about you
It takes a village: Create a plan with loved ones
When it comes to the dangers of online information, GenZ is just as naive as Baby Boomers. However, with their proclivity for oversharing on social media, GenZ can pose a risk not just for themselves, but also those with whom they live – like parents and other family members. Make sure that your family and other loved ones are also taking precautions when it comes to securing their social media privacy settings and in the content they’re posting. The content that others post could also endanger you.
The internet of today is a dangerous place, but few people realize just how much personal information exists online – and how it can be used against them. Most people don’t realize the extent to which their digital footprint creates a literal roadmap to their lives, often leading criminals right in through the front door, digital or literal.
Securing your digital footprint takes vigilance and persistence and in an increasingly digitally-reliant world, safeguarding the profiles of you and your loved ones has never been more imperative.
