Cybersecurity Awareness Fact Sheet

For public distribution – Updated July 2024

Depending on what you post, your personal social media accounts could provide a malicious actor with the ability to harm your personal or professional reputation. Use the following guidelines to secure your social media accounts and protect your privacy.

Protecting Your Privacy

• Be wary of social media messages from unknown senders. Don’t open links or attachments and only respond to verified contacts.
• Audit your social media apps. Only download apps from trusted sources. Review which apps have access to your information and uninstall those you no longer use or need.
• Regularly install social media app updates to ensure the highest level of protection. Verify app permissions and revoke unnecessary access.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on accounts and devices whenever possible.
• Check your privacy settings and set accounts to private where possible.
• Be careful about posting information and photos that could compromise your location or your data. Avoid geolocation tagging and disable location-sharing default settings.
• Limit your networks to friends, family, and colleagues, and only accept verified connection requests.
• Remember to fact check before reposting or referencing social media posts. With the help of AI, malicious actors can create images and text designed to elicit specific emotions or actions.
• If your friends post about you on social media, make sure the combined information doesn’t reveal too much personal data.
• If you suspect that your account has been compromised, immediately change the password and monitor the account for suspicious activity.

Reporting Guidance

• If you receive a suspicious connection request or message on social media, report it directly to the social media platform.
• Report online fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.

Diplomatic Security Service
U.S. Department of State