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In the last of our series on personal security online, Colm Murphy takes a look at the social networking phenomenon and outlines some key steps you can take to avoid identity theft.

Bebo, Facebook, MySpace – you’ve no doubt heard of them and the chances are you’re already using one or other of them to stay in touch with friends and family at home and abroad. These sites allow users to communicate with people you know and, if you choose, with strangers online and to build networks linked by shared hobbies and interests. Most social networking services allow users to create a ‘Profile’ of themselves. The idea is that you upload a photo, fill in some basic details about yourself and then ‘make friends’ with other users. In most social networking services, both users must confirm that they are friends before they are linked. For example, if John lists Mary as a friend, Mary must approve John’s friend request before they become online friends. Social networks usually have privacy controls that allow the user to choose who can view their profile or contact them.

When you create a profile on a social networking site, you literally put yourself on the social-networking map. You can use the site to: - look up old friends or make new ones - share music, photos and videos - join groups based on interests such as politics, hobbies or favourite TV shows - find jobs or just simply chat

The risks Social networking sites rely on connections and communication, so they encourage you to provide a certain amount of personal information. When deciding how much information to reveal, people may not exercise the same amount of caution as they would when meeting someone in person.

Social networking websites are extremely popular with young people. If you are a parent, it is important to be aware that social networking sites may expose children to the risks they have always faced online but in a new forum. These risks include online bullying, disclosure of private information, cyber-stalking, access to age-inappropriate content and, at the most extreme, online grooming and child abuse. And it is not just children who are open to these risks. Adults too, are using these sites in greater numbers and can face loss of privacy, identity theft or can become victims of cyber-bullying and stalking.

Tips to stay safe Be Discreet Never type anything into a profile page, bulletin board, instant message or other type of online electronic form that would expose you to unwanted visitors or the possibility of identity theft or malicious threats. This includes personal and business names and addresses, phone numbers, job titles, birth dates, schedule details, daily routines and business or family information. It’s far better to communicate in generalities than to reveal information that unscrupulous individuals may someday use against you.

Be aware that your employer and/or recruiters may read what you post online. It is not unusual these days to be asked at interview whether you are a member of a social networking community.

Watch what you post Only post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing – this includes information in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can’t retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people’s computers.

Be wary of strangers The Internet makes it easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives. Consider limiting the peoplewho are allowed to contact you on these sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount of information you reveal. It is not recommended to meet them in person.

Be sceptical Don’t believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, a product of exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of information before taking any action.

Check privacy policies Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies.

Watch and learn Educate yourself about the site before you post any personal information. Evaluate the social networking Web site and read the privacy policy and code of conduct carefully. To avoid giving the site the email addresses of your friends, do not allow the site to scan your email address book. Assume what you write on a social networking site is permanent. Even if you have the ability to delete your account, anyone on the Internet can easily print out the information or save it to a computer.

Privacy Consider using a site that doesn’t post your information publicly. Some sites allow anyone to view the content you post on the site; others only allow members or nominated friends to view pages. If you want to help protect your information even further, use a site that allows you to protect your information and only give your friends access. Use the Privacy settings. Limit what information people, even your friends, can view. Be alert to con artists

Criminals scan social networking sites to find potential victims for all sorts of scams, from phony lotteries to bogus employment and business opportunities to investment fraud.

Colm Murphy is Technical Director with espion, www.espion.ie.