For most of us on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites we aren’t too concerned about safety. Well bullying, pedophiles, stalking, and other crimes are now a priority social networkers should have. Formerly I have been pretty open on my Facebook page, although there is a stark difference between being open and being brainless. Here are 5 ways to guard yourself and your identity.

1. Keep Private Info to Yourself

Individuals don’t need to know your personal information. Never write down your social security number, address, and phone number out there. Only give it to people you know in person. Also, be discriminatory about the people you add. You never know who may turn out to be a hacker, stalker, or someone trying to steal your identity. Also consider using a user name that isn’t your actual name. And don’t tweet where you’re going because that makes you easy to follow or even break into your house.

2. Be careful of Strangers
Although this might seem a little basic, there’s nothing wrong with a reminder course. Some individuals that might seem like friends could in reality be spammers that just want to hijack your account. Or they could just want to get traffic to their links. If you aren’t acquainted with them, and your friends don’t know them, don’t add them.

3. Curious Behavior
If friends on social sites seem to be acting weird, don’t accept gifts from them or open their messages. Someone may have hacked into their system so who you thought was a friend really isn’t. So, if you have a friend pushing “havarti cheese is the best” but you know they’re a vegan. Then it’s probably a warning that you shouldn’t click on the URL. It could be a malicious program that will mess up your computer software.

4. Condensed URLs
A number of URLs for web site addresses are really long and as a result by using tools like bit.ly you can have a link with a shortened URL. While these may be helpful, they can also allow scammers and spammers the power to hide where you are actually going. If it’s possible make sure to preview the URL before you go onto it. An easy rule is that if you can’t make out where the link is going, don’t click on it.

5. Know your Secrecy Options
All of these social media tools allow you to modify your security settings to a particular point. Make sure that you assess and adjust them to the uppermost privacy setting they allow. However, don’t set the settings so great that the tools don’t work properly. Many of these settings are not the default so make sure that you alter them so some random guest can’t find your info through the search engine. If you don’t like or are anxious about some of the privacy settings on the site, then don’t use it. Look for another site that meets your privacy protection standards. Frequently examine and raise your browser privacy settings.

Social sites can be awesome. You can reconnect with old friends, develop existing relationships, and at the same time make new friends. Just be cautious about what information you are putting up there, and take into account these 5 ways to keep yourself and your identity safe.

About the author:
Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college courses, online education, and the college experience.