Social media hacks are on the rise, meaning the risk to your private information is increasing too.

Between the variety of social media platforms and the number of devices people use to stay in touch, there are countless entry points where cyber-criminals can hack their way into secure systems. Being aware of potential threats and how they happen is an important step in keeping your personal information secure online. 

 How Are Accounts Compromised? 

There are a number of ways hackers use social media to trick people, but some of the most common forms include:  

• Phishing: Posting or direct messaging a malicious link or an attachment  
• Impersonating someone they know: A seemingly friendly face requesting friends, follows or likes 
• Identity fraud: Creating fake accounts that look like you, using info found from your social media 
• Fake offers/apps: Pretending to be a trusted company to get you to share personal info 

Remember that social engineers exploit our natural desire to be helpful. The best rule of thumb when navigating online is to trust yourself and operate by the one strike rule – if something is off and weird, immediately block the user and use social media reporting tools to flag the incident, just to be safe. Do not disclose personal information on a website, unless you are sure of the organisation’s legitimacy and the use it will make of the information.  

For more on the warning signs of social media attacks, visit  A Hackers Playground – The World of Social Media.