Social networking is great. It lets you get out and make friends, and if you’ve got a business you can use it to promote your product or service. You can use it to meet that special someone, or to reconnect with loved ones that you haven’t seen in many years. To be honest social networking allows us to do many things we couldn’t do before. It ‘s a brilliant tool.
But like all good things, it has its downfalls. Actually, there are some very dangerous risks involved in using these sites. Networks, like Twitter, Digg, Facebook, LinkedIn, Stumbleupon, MySpace and YouTube, to name only a few are huge; they’re some of the highest traffic sites on the internet. So, it’s only natural that cyber-criminals, hackers and other unscrupulous types would be using them to do a whole variety of nasty things to users.
Malware:
Malware means programs that get inside your computer and start sending information out. This is dangerous because many of us keep private, personal or financial data on our PCs. Malware can be transmitted through social networking sites.
Identity Theft
Social networking sites give you the opportunity to tell the world about yourself. The downside is that somebody can use that information to pretend to be you. It may not be a good idea to give out too much about yourself.
Stalking And Harassment
One of the new threats to emerge recently is stalking. Even someone who’s on the other side of the world can send you creepy messages that make you afraid to open your inbox.
Online Predators:
Social networking sites carry a risk that parents couldn’t have imagined in their days. Perverts use these sites to find prey. Many of the teenagers who use sites like MySpace have no idea that their information can be used in this way. They may naively put private information on their profiles, which can be used to trick them into starting a relationship with someone. This is why close supervision is necessary is your kids are using social networking sites.
Privacy:
No one wants their private information to be broadcast across the world. We often put pictures, songs or other personal information on these sites without realizing that anyone can access them. There have been concerns recently about sites (Facebook in particular) giving this information to a third party for marketing purposes.
Copyright Violation:
Anything you post can be copied and used by other people. When someone publishes their song or poem on their profile, they often don’t realize this. Even your photographs can be copied and used elsewhere.
Concerns For Businesses:
No one has benefitted more from social networking than businesses. It allows them to create an online presence and stay in steady contact with their customers and clients. However, there are also major risks involved. If hackers can get into a business’s profile, they can cause major damage that can cost the company thousands of dollars. Although it’s great to have one more way to promote your business, it also leaves you open to attack from others.
In a few words
Make wise use of social networks and always be suspicious of their dangers. A thing that can benefit you can also harm you if you don’t use it well. Note that where there are opportunities there may also be threats lurking; however eliminate needless risk. Do not feel that you should share all your personal information with other users online. Social networks are a very good tool to share and promote ideas. Add value by giving ideas and thoughts but don’t give out what you wouldn’t want just anyone seeing in public. The last thing you want is getting irretractably exposed.
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