The overall purpose of social media is to share information openly with people within the online community. Unfortunately, being too open can leave you vulnerable to phishing scams and ruthless hackers. It is imperative that users are aware of the threats and how to prevent them. The following are a couple of tips for Twitter users.

Keep Your Info Private With Do Not Track (DNT)

For the past few months, Twitter users have been requesting not to have their tweets tracked. They have finally received their request. Recently, Twitter announced that users can now sign up for a Do Not Track option. This gives users the option to have their data hidden from the mainstream. This means their private information will not be recorded and shared with third parties.

When a user signs up for Do Not Track it sends a message out to web services that the recipient does not want certain details about their webpage visits collected. Twitter users will be able to keep tabs on their Do Not Track settings in recent versions of Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox.

Password Protection

You can help prevent getting your Twitter account hacked by selecting a strong password. Make sure you choose at least eight characters that include symbols and numbers. It may also help to update your password regularly (ex. every two - three months). 

Reject Suspicious Third-Party Twitter Apps

All you have to do is log into your account and go to Connections and select Account Settings and choose Revoke Access. This will block suspicious applications. 

Be Careful - People Are Watching

Do you remember the old adage "think before you speak"? In the social media world, you must think before you post an update. Posting private information that you don't want the whole world to know about should be avoided. Just because you know each one of your followers personally doesn't guarantee your private details about your next meeting will be secure. Confidentiality goes out the window in the social media arena. Maker sure you think before you tweet personal information about yourself. 

Lastly, always make sure that www.twitter.com is in the address bar when you log into your account. Sometimes viruses and malware will be disguised as a regular link. You should hover over a link before clicking on it to make sure that the link is actually what it says it is.  Avoid clicking onto links that appear suspicious.