Social Media – Beware what you share
Social Media
We all have social media accounts, Apple accounts, Google accounts, Bank accounts, Utilities accounts and the list goes on and will continue to go on. Do you remember when you setup your Facebook account or your Apple account, probably not?
Setting up online accounts there is a set of security questions requiring answers.
Questions such as: –
- What is your first pets name?
- What is your mother’s maiden name?
You can see where this is going, right?
As a Facebook User, you’ve probably come across this jovial game – “What’s your Star Name”
A picture shared by friends and family, asks you to share your “Star Name”. It then prompts you to click on the comments and you are likely to see hundreds of responses by people who have shared the same picture!
Sinister Undertone
Some of the names given are outright hilarious, whilst others seem quite normal and could be the name of the average person on the street. I have to admit mine is pretty good, but I definitely won’t be sharing it with you. Don’t be a spoil sport I hear you say….. Well there’s actually a sinister undertone to this jovial game.
The premise for the star name game is what is your first pets name, and what is your mother’s maiden name? You stick them together and that’s your star name.
Now, you post your star name in the comments below the picture being shared and it is shared with hundreds if not thousands of people, having a bit of a laugh and nothing is thought of it.
For you maybe, but it is very likely there is someone on there who is using this information to their advantage.
Security Settings
Depending on how you configure the security on your online profiles on social media you could also be giving them access to additional information such as your email address, home town, parents etc. An unscrupulous individual could use this information to attempt to hack parts of your online identity and other more important services such as Utility and Bank accounts.
Our advice
When using social media, always stop to think about what you are about to share, as there may be an ulterior motive behind an innocent looking game.
Finally, this game goes by other names so stay vigilant when online.