Social Media Safety

What is personal information?

• Date of birth, Passwords

• School, Year level

• Home address, Full name

• All of the above

Answer explanation

Any information that can identify you is considered personal, however it is up to you how much you keep private! Certain information, such as your passwords and home address, should never be shared, simply because the consequences of someone using that information maliciously are much greater than if you shared less important information, such as your height.

A strong password should be..

• very easy to remember

• related to your personal information

• a mix of numbers, letters, and special characters

• unrelated to your personal information

Answer explanation

Passwords that are related to your personal information are far easier for hackers to guess than those that are completely random!

Which is the strongest password of the following?

• Sun$h1n3

• Sunshine5533

• 1tsA$unnyD4Y!

• Sunshine

• Sun$hine

Answer explanation

Passwords with numbers, special characters, and upper and lower-case letters are the strongest! The longer and more abstract it is also helps, as well as being unrelated to any of your personal information.

How can hackers get your information?

• Blocking you

• Guessing passwords

• Reporting you

• Phishing scams

Answer explanation

Blocking and reporting any suspicious accounts you come across can stop hackers from targeting you and others! They have many methods to access your information, however if hackers can’t see or contact you online, it becomes far more difficult for them and you are much safer.

What is a common scam used by hackers to steal your information?

• Phone calls

• Phishing

• Text messages

• E-mails

Answer explanation

Phishing relies on people falling for scams, such as fake prizes, security checks, or bank statements. These can be carried out via text message, email, or phone calls, however are all still forms of phishing.

These scams get delivered straight to your inbox..

• Malware-laced emails

• Terms of Service

• Online friends

• Spear phishing

Answer explanation

These scams are highly effective when they reference your real-life friends, family, organisations, and workplaces, as they become more believable. They often use disguised links that download ‘malware’, which is software such as viruses that allows hackers to gain access to your information, accounts, and even complete control of your device.

What is a trojan horse?

• A virus

• A worm

• A program that copies itself

• Malware that appears safe to trick you into downloading it

Answer explanation

Trojan Horse scams use disguised links, which download malware when clicked on and are hidden in ‘Download’, ‘Close Ad’, ‘Call now’, and other buttons. You may not even know the software is downloading until your device is no longer working!

If hackers gain access to your social media accounts, their online behaviour can impact..

• your appearance

• your digital footprint

• your IQ

• your reputation

Answer explanation

If hackers go online using your account, people will think it’s actually you! If things hackers post, comment, message, follow, or like, are inappropriate or offensive, severe consequences to your real life reputation are at stake. Even if these issues get cleared up, your digital footprint may be impacted forever if you can't fully erase the trail the hacker has left.

A good digital footprint..

• must not include any social media

• is no digital footprint

• has 6 toes

• reflects you in a positive way

Answer explanation

Every interaction you have online should shape your digital footprint positively, such as supportive comments, posting photos that reflect your personality, and following accounts that reflect your passions. New friends, job recruiters, and even co-workers, will often search for you online to see who you really are; nothing coming up is far more suspicious in today’s society than photos of you having fun with your friends!

If you need more information about how to stay safe online, where can you go?

• Talk to your parent/s or guardian/s

• Talk to your teachers

• eSafety commission website

• Kids helpline website

• All of the above

Answer explanation

All of these are fantastic options if you ever need more clarity about online safety, social media use and risks, or your digital footprint. And I’m always happy to help!