The Internet is a fantastic tool to use for a plethora of purposes. We can research just about anything on the Internet, we can stay in touch with friends and relatives across the world, and we can even conduct business and manage our finances online. However, with so many conveniences comes a certain level of risk. Not all users of the Internet do so harmlessly. There are thieves, hackers, and predators that do not have our best interests in mind. It is true that those who misuse the conveniences of the Internet are not necessarily the majority. However it only takes one slip of personal information accessed by the wrong hands for someone to damage that can be not only inconvenient but life altering. Isn’t it best then to do all in our power to enhance our privacy and security in order to ensure that we are as protected as possible?
Of course it is. The problem is that many people are simply unaware of the risks that they face and how they can minimize those risks. Speaking of Facebook specifically, there are a number of privacy settings that are provided to account holders that allow them some privacy services. It is fairly easy to access and understand the privacy options that are available on your Facebook profile. Simply click on the “privacy” option and explore the various privacy settings that are available.
For starters you will want to make sure that only those who you specifically give information to are allowed to view your contact information. You will also want to make sure that you block access to your profile from anyone who you do not trust. In order to do this you will need to find these individuals by doing a search through the Facebook database (you can only specifically block those who also have Facebook accounts and that can be identified from your search). You can also create a limited profile. A limited profile on Facebook is a profile that you have taken things away from that you do not wish for certain individuals to see. Obviously personal information can be limited for privacy reasons. But this feature is also convenient for blocking access to information that you may find embarrassing or too personal for public viewing.
Using Facebook privacy settings is definitely something that you want to learn how to do. If nothing is done to your privacy settings on your Facebook account these settings will remain in their default position. In the default position, your level of privacy is almost non-existent as the default setting allows for any and all viewing of Facebook profile materials.
There are also a number of other measures that you will want to take in addition to setting your Facebook account privacy features. Standard privacy and security measures include protecting your computer and using good judgment when it comes to the kind of information that you make available online. You can protect your computer from possible security breaches by making sure that you have both a firewall and anti-virus software installed on your computer. You will also need to make sure that these security features are updated regularly so that you remain protected from the newest types of threats. You are also responsible for making wise decisions about who you trust with your personal information. Remember that you can never really be sure who is on the other end of a message that you are sending or a transaction that you are making. Know the signs of a secure website and steer clear of sites that do not offer a sufficient level of security.
