In a social engineering attack, an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise information about an individual or organization computer system. An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair person, or researcher and even offering credentials to support that identity. However, by asking questions, he […]

Social media is a blessing and a curse. It helps you keep up with others but can also leak a lot of data and increase your vulnerability to breaches. Accordingly, delete any old accounts you don’t need to reduce risk.

Social networks are full of scams designed to harvest your personal data by sending you to risky websites or soliciting sensitive information. You should block any account you think might be trying to scam you – that way, you won’t see any of its posts.

If you’ve ever gotten a social media profile request or dating app picture you didn’t trust, you’re in luck. You can upload that image to Google image search or a similar (reverse image search) service to see if it’s been pulled from somewhere on the web and is putting you at risk of being scammed.

Be skeptical – people may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities on social networking websites. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, an exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taking any action.

Social media is a haven for various scams. Here’s what to look for and how to stay safe.