Social networks make it easy to instantly share information, photos, and videos online. For many people, this is a fun way to stay up-to-date with friends and family, but they may not realize the privacy implications of all this sharing.
ICSI scientist Gerald Friedland studies cybercasing, the use of online information to mount attacks in the real world, and, and recommends users consider the following before posting anything online.
1. Who can see/read this post? Public posts can be seen by anybody in the world, including your boss, governments, and even criminals. So rethink: Is the post appropriate for any audience?
2. Will my post offend people, and am I okay with the potential results of offending people? If the information in this post is shared with people I didn't anticipate sharing it with, will that cause any problems (for me, or for others mentioned/shown in my post)?
Even if you are careful not to post private information, you might not realize how much metadata becomes available whenever you post something online.