An amusing
incident occurred a few years ago. Edward
Cook - 6’4” 36 year old American wanted for credit card fraud and identity
theft. My father, Edward Cook – 5’10”, 50
year old British/Canadian citizen. This
is who my father was mistaken for by creditors and police. Although my Mom thought it very funny that my
father could be mistaken for a 6’4” 36 year old crook, it was fortunate for him
that the problem was easily resolved and my father’s credit and personal
information was secure. This might have
given my parents a chuckle after the fact (mostly my Mom), but protecting and
maintaining a positive online “you brand” that shields and safeguards both your
personal image and private information is something that everyone should be
concerned about.
Start by
Googling your name. Googling your name
is not narcissistic as some might think; it is actually a chore those of us who
use the internet and social media should perform every now and then to take care
of our online image. I Googled my name,
and was very proud of the fact that I discovered very little personal
information and one pretty good picture.
Although I have used the internet for many years, I entered the social
media arena only a few years ago and am beyond the need of posting drunken girl’s
night out photos; however I am a serious job hunter and am very conscious of
how potential employers might view my Facebook or LinkedIn profiles. I want to be judged by the lifestyle that I
actually lead and the person that I am, not by a Saturday night at my best
friend’s bachelorette party.
Being online
is like being in public and what it means to be public or private has changed
in the last 10 years. With the invention of the personal computer in the late
80’s the very notion of privacy has been re-defined and nowadays may be
influenced by culture, economics, society, religion and numerous other factors.
Social media encourages the publication
of private information to an unparalleled extent. In most cases we contribute information
willing and knowingly, however when another party posts pictures or information
unbeknownst to us, we are powerless. But
are we???
Manage Your Online Image
B) Check your settings. Ensure that your settings on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites reflect a positive image.
These are
just some of the guidelines that I’ve implemented for all of my social media
pages that allow me to be in command of my online reputation. Another means of monitoring your social
presence is through such search engines as Social Mention http://www.socialmention.com/# or Boardreader http://boardreader.com/.
These sites will allow you to monitor what others may publish without
your knowledge. With a young son who is
always looking over my shoulder when I’m browsing Facebook, I hope he’ll follow
my guarded but vigilant example for his social media pages in the not so
distant future, whatever they may be. Below I’ve suggested a little help.
By Lori Randall
Stradtman
|
Not only do
you need to protect your online reputation, but it’s imperative to safeguard
your private information such as your social insurance number, financial
information, passwords and pin numbers etc. Here are some of the guidelines I
strictly adhere to;
a) Create passwords using a combination of upper
and lower case, numbers and symbols and change
them on a regular basis.
b) Use antivirus software and scan regularly
c) Don’t open emails from unknown sources or
visit questionable websites
d) Make sure you understand the consequences of
sharing private information. Here is some
help.
Please take
a few minutes of your time and review what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and the Ontario Provincial Police have to say about identity theft and how
important it is to be educated about the dangers of having your private
information stolen and used for illegal purposes. Remember it is against the law.