7 Ways to Stay Safe on Twitter

Twitter is one of the original giants among social media networks and because it is so handy and easy to use it is a great way to communicate with your friends or associates.

While Twitter is a great social media network, it is also a way for scammers and bots to potentially pose a threat to users, including teens and young kids. When it comes to staying safe on Twitter, parents need to make sure their children are as safe as possible.

Read all about how to spot a Twitter scam here!

1. Always be smart with your passwords – Your password should always be at least 12 characters with a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.  It is also important not to use the same password for all your accounts.

2. Configure privacy settings – Everything you post on Twitter will pop up when it is searched for, so it is best to enable “Protect My Tweets” so your posts stay invisible to search queries.

3. Never share personal info – There are many people lurking on social media, predators, hackers and those looking for a quick con victim. That’s why it is vital to protect your private info such as your location, private photos and videos.

4. Be wise about tweets – A harmless tweet can cause a lot of damage even if it seems innocent, so parents need to help children understand as well as themselves that it is important to think before tweeting.

5. Don’t befriend just anyone – Social media networks are a haven for creeps looking to manipulate innocent people. Be sure to only follow and communicate with people you know!

6. Be cautious about links – Tweets can contain links to images, videos and other content, but the source of the links can be hard to identify, so they could possibly lead to malware, phishing scams, etc. be extra cautious around links.

7. Install an anti-virus software – Download a trustworthy, reliable anti-virus software to ensure that all devices are protected against possible threats from Twitter as well as other sources. For assistance with a reliable anti-virus program please contact The Computer Guyz on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgcape.co.za

Just like the web, there is both a light and dark side to all social media networks, there are many scam artists, bots and criminals waiting to make you their next victim, so be sure to communicate with your friends and family as well as your children to ensure they are always kept safe!