Questions to ask yourself when using social media

By The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)

PERSONAL INFORMATION – DO YOU:
» Keep sensitive, work-related information OFF your profile?
» Keep your plans, schedules, and location data to yourself?
» Protect the names and information of coworkers, friends, and family members?
» Tell friends to be careful when posting photos and information about you and your family?

POSTED DATA – BEFORE POSTING, DID YOU:
» Check all photos for indicators of work-related information in the background and reflective surfaces?
» Check file names and file tags for sensitive data (your name, organization, and other details)?

PASSWORDS – ARE THEY:
» Unique from your other online passwords?
» Sufficiently hard to guess?
» Adequately protected (not shared)?

SETTINGS AND PRIVACY – DID YOU:
» Carefully look for and set all of your privacy and security options?
» Determine both your profile and search visibility?
» Sort “friends” into groups and networks and set access permissions accordingly?
» Verify through other channels that a “friend” request was actually from your friend?
» Give new, “untrusted” people with the lowest permissions and accesses to your groups?

SECURITY – REMEMBER TO:
» Use and keep security software (anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and firewalls) updated.
» Beware of links, downloads, and attachments just as you would in emails.
» Beware of “apps” and plug-ins, which are often written by unknown third parties and could be used to access your data (and your freinds’ data).
» Look for HTTPS and the lock icon that indicate active transmission security before logging in or entering sensitive data (especially when using Wi-Fi hotspots).

REMEMBER
» Unclassified information is important, too – pieced together, it can reveal the whole picture.
» Adversaries do not have to follow legal procedures to collect information.
» Protecting information is everyone’s responsibility.
» Practicing good OPSEC will help safeguard personnel, missions, and facilities.