Web 2.0 Security: Identity Theft

What’s on your social network profile? You have to be careful what you put up there because even seemingly basic information about you can give away some valuable tidbits –- your name and date of birth, for instance –- that identity thieves can use to guess passwords or impersonate you, and even eventually steal your identity.

Some people are very free with their personal information, even going so far as to provide their phone number, email address, full street address, etc. Not really a good idea, but what can you do about it?

For starters, don’t answer all of the questions in a social networking profile and for sure, don’t give your real birthday. Who will know? If you have family and close friends who know your real numbers, you can explain that it’s a security precaution–they certainly won’t care. And what difference does it make if your profile says your birthday is 07/24/73 when it’s really 08/16/75?

We’re social creatures and tend to be trusting, but there’s no need to be at risk. A little misdirection when posting your personal information is something you’ll probably never have reason to regret.