If you have served in the military, you have most likely heard the phrase, “need to know.” Basically, it means you only share sensitive information with the people who truly need to have it.
Let’s face it, security has become a huge priority in so many areas of our lives. The bad guys are always trying to outsmart us and will use any data – whether shared intentionally or accidentally – they can access for nefarious purposes.
Which brings me to your Facebook profile. Most of us voluntarily share a good deal of personal information on our “About” page, including birthdays, addresses, phone numbers and more. While you can choose to only share this information with your “friends,” is this really a good idea? Are all your Facebook “friends” truly your friends and people you trust? Often, we connect with people we barely know, giving them access to any information we share on the platform. A crafty hacker with access to your name, address, birthdate and phone number may have all they need to steal your identity.
Now I know you are thinking, “I will only add people I know very well and are my true friends.” However, even then including all that information is still a danger since it is pretty common for Facebook accounts to get hacked or users to fall for phishing attempts. Ultimately, the only thing you really need to put on Facebook is your name, and many people choose to not even include their full name.
If a friend needs to know any of your other information, you can give it to them in a different manner, such as on a phone call or via encrypted email.
