Officials comment on dangers of social network privacy settings

Facebook and other online social networks started as a way to interact with other college students, distant family members and friends, but has it gone too far in regards to all the information people decide to give away about themselves?

With recent advances in technology, students are now able to share more information about themselves with more people on social networking sites.

Senior Amanda Mast said she believes Facebook was better when it first started because people had to be verified with a school or university to become a member.  

“Now it has become a bigger breeding ground for bad situations,” Mast said.

Scott Wilson, awareness, training and outreach coordinator and security and policy information manager for the IU Information Policy Office, advises students on technical security.

Wilson said his major advice for online social networking is that students think about what they post and that they be mindful of what is posted about them.  

“The world of physical security and the world of information technology security is merging and becoming blurred,” Wilson said.

The main goal of websites such as Facebook is for people to spend time on their sites, to use their services, such as online chat and games, and to put their information out there for public use.

“Once something is out there on the Internet, it’s out there,” Wilson said.  

Wilson said some sites, such as Facebook, retain users’ information even after it is posted, changed or deleted.

For example, if someone posts a picture or a picture is posted of a person and it is
deleted, Facebook keeps a copy of that photo in its database, so the person who posted might be unsure if it is really gone.

Also, if users deactivate their accounts, the accounts are still online but remain hidden.

Wilson also pointed to the dangers of online profiles in regards to job interviews.

Companies will have no qualms about looking at Facebook profiles and other information, so students who are graduating or trying to get internships should be aware of what they post online and what is posted of them.

Senior Casey Fisher said she agrees that social networking and giving out private information can be dangerous for students.

“It’s common sense to be smart about what you put on your profile,” Fisher said. “Anyone has access to it.”

Fisher gave the example that if you are using a public access computer at a library or an airport and check your bank account, people can hack into that information because the source is accessible to everyone.

People shouldn’t check personal accounts on websites in public or put anything on their profiles that they wouldn’t want everyone to see, she said.  

“Your information is valuable,” Wilson said.

When people post online where they are or use a location-based service that allows them to “check in,” telling people where they are and displaying their location, they are in danger of exposing too much information as well.

Wilson said some phones have applications, such as navigation or online reviews, that are geographically aware of where the owner is.

If someone can hack into or get a hold of at least three months of location-based services information, that person can predict the owner’s life routine and possibly guess where he or she is going to be.

If students are not more careful, people can accurately predict where they will be at a certain time on a particular day, Wilson said.

“People will go to great lengths to get information,” Fisher said.

Wilson advises students to not give out their names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers or driver’s license numbers on public sites. By doing so, students can help prevent identity theft and more serious physical harm in the long run.

Mast said she tries to protect herself by only talking about previous locations after the fact, such as concerts she attended, and keeps her profile information limited to her network and maybe a city.

Mast said she encourages students to use “friends only” settings in order to keep their information and themselves safe and protected.

Wilson and the staff at the Information Policy Office are not against the use of online social networks, but they advocate the need to be cautious regarding the dangers and
risks.  

“Students need to be aware of the world around them and how their actions affect them,” Wilson said.