Social media
Going into the summer break, protect yourself and your information online Summer is here and staying in touch with friends and family is easy using social media. it’s important to be proactive and protect yourself from the harms of social media. Social media can be used in a safe way by following some simple tips.
Tips to using social media safely
- Ensure anything you post is private and can only been seen by your direct connections.
- Review your privacy settings frequently – especially after an application update.
- Think before you share online. Keep the following information private:
- Personal information – Don’t share your phone number, address, or full date of birth.
- Location – Verify you’re not sharing your location and remove geotags from older photos.
- Life news – Post your vacation and events photos when you get back home.
- Financial information – Don’t post any bank or purchase information online.
- Other people’s life updates – Be careful with what you share about your friends and family. Always ask permission.
Overcoming FOMO and FOBO
Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is the anxious feeling of not knowing what your friends have been up to and the feeling you’re not there to have fun with them.
Fear Of Being Offline (FOBO) is the anxious feeling of being disconnected with the online world.
To overcome this:
- Focus on meaningful and positive friendships, face-to-face interactions and actual experiences outside of social media – like going for a hike, riding a bike or going to the movie theatre.
- Know that your self-worth is not based on the number of likes you get online. Just because others get more likes does not mean they are more interesting than you.
- Remember photos and videos are only only a small segment of someone else’s life and are often highly edited.
- Follow people who inspire you, encourage positivity and happiness or those you could learn from! Learn to filter content that does not help your overall well-being.
- If you feel uneasy, talk to a parent, friend or trusted adult.
Resources
- Are your online friends who they say they are?
- How to spot a cyber threat on social media
- Guess What!?! quiz – Test your online (and offline) safety knowledge
Cyber Awareness Month
Cyber Awareness Month 2022 | ||||||||
Cyber Awareness Month 2022Staff, educators, school leaders and students of all ages can become cyberheroes by:
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Cyber Awareness Month 2021 | ||||||||
Cyber Awareness Month 2021Staff, students, and parents are invited to participate in October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way we rely on and interact with technology. In all areas of our lives, we have seen an unprecedented increase in the use of technology and the internet for staying connected, for recreation, for online learning, and more. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we learn to protect ourselves online. Adopting safe, secure and healthy habits online is caring for your online presence and digital footprint, while helping to ensure you and your family are protected online. Visit GetCyberSafe.ca for more information from the Government of Canada.
During Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM), we explored how a well-organized cyber attack unfolds. Review the topics below for more information on how to maintain your cyber security.
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Social Media Best Practices
- Manage your privacy and security settings - managing your privacy and security settings will help you control who sees and has access to your social media content.
- Be aware of who follows your account - only engage with people you know.
- Be cautious of what you are posting - am I releasing any private information about myself or my organization?
- When in doubt, don’t post it - if you feel hesitant about posting certain information, keep it private.
- Click links with caution - social media accounts are regularly breached. Look out for language, content, or behaviour that is out of the norm.
- Keep up to date on privacy policies - be aware that privacy policies can change and keep up to date on how they impact you or your organization.
- Use social media on a secure Wi-Fi network or personal cellular data - only use hotspots or networks that are trusted, and password protected.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) - use MFA where possible, for your social media accounts.
Phishing
Information on phishing scams |
With phishing scams on the rise, students and parents are asked to exercise heightened awareness to avoid being victims of cyber-crime. While most phishing attempts come by email, phishing can also come by other means. Phishing text messages (also known as SMS phishing or smishing) are fraudulent text messages, sent by cyber criminals, to try to lure victims into revealing personal or financial information to commit fraud or steal sensitive information or to click links that will install malware used to steal data and damage networks. These messages can arrive by SMS, iMessage, social media platforms, and other messaging platforms. Phishing text / email messages are disguised to look like they are sent from a trustworthy organization or reputable person. Always use caution before responding to requests for information. |
How it works |
Phishing scams typically use a threat or opportunity to encourage you to click a link or call a number. Financial incentives, including government payments and rebates, contests, prizes, and giveaways are often part of the lure used by cyber criminals, as well as threats such as legal action, overdue payments or missed deliveries. In the example below, the smishing screenshot is impersonating a Canada Revenue Agency payment. However, the cyber criminal is attempting to steal the information or infect the device of the user who clicks the link. |
Tips to protect yourself |
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If you think you may have been a victim of phishing |
Do your part to block cyber-attacks. Remember to persistently practice S.E.A. – Slow down, Examine carefully and Act cautiously. |
Other helpful resources |
Cyber Security Knowledge Library
Want to know more?
For more information, head over to the Knowledge Library on the Cyber Security Ontario Learning Portal.
This content is hosted by Cyber Security Ontario