DIGITAL SURVIVAL GUIDE

YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

For many of us, our days usually include some time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media sites. Our statuses, profiles, and uploaded (filtered) pictures create our digital footprint – the traces of ourselves we have on the internet. Just Google yourself, you'll see.

In Penn State Reads' 2016 book, The Circle, author Dave Eggers explores a dystopian world built upon society's desire for increased transparency and safety both online and in the real world. In our world we do take responsibility for how we act online and have the ability to exercise freedom of thought and expression.

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Dave Eggers creates a convincing look at a world that could be ours. While we don't have "The Circle," we do have companies like Google who track our web movements, location services on our smartphones, targeted ads when we are on Facebook, and services like Klout that measure our influence on the web. It can get overwhelming when you think about how much information you, your family, and your friends share every day with the world.
At the same time, the web is a powerful tool. We can be a part of a movement through a hashtag, keep track of a live event with Twitter and Facebook, find information on pretty much any topic, send emails to our family and friends around the world, and tell thousands of people about ourselves and our experiences through blogs and other social media platforms.

WHAT CAN I DO?

There are many ways for you to change your digital footprint, be a savvy internet user, and know how to limit the amount of information being released about you. From privacy tips, to professional branding, creating strong passwords, and preventing identity theft, we're here to help you survive!

FAST FACTS

93%: In a 2015 study, 93% of adults said being in control of who has access to their information is important to them.

9%: However, only 9% of these respondents had made changes to their privacy settings to keep their information more secure.

90%: Today, 90% of young people (18-29) use social media. It's important for you to know what information is going to who!

*Information from Pew Internet studies on American Attitudes About Privacy, Security, & Surveillance (2015) and Social Media Usage: 2005-2015 (2015).

PRIVACY DO’S & DON’TS

DO:

Make profiles secure: Most social networking sites allow you to restrict access so your secure profile and information is seen by only family and friends.

Create unique passwords: Make sure every social media account you have has its own unique password. Strong unique passwords make it harder for hackers to get into your account.

Think about requests: It is okay to be selective of who you friend and follow on social media. Choose people you want to see your information, or use filters to limit what certain people can see on your profile.

Remember, it’s permanent: Once you post something, it is hard to delete it. While you might delete a comment or picture, someone could have saved it to their computer.

Be your best online identity: Sometimes employers and university administration check social media sites. Make sure you're posting information you want to be seen by all. This might be someone's first impression of you.

DON’T:

Avoid detailed information: Posting detailed information about when you're going to be away from your house makes you an easier target for thieves.

Ward off “front page” news: Follow the "front page" rule: do not post something you would not be comfortable seeing on the front page of a newspaper.

Sidestep unusual links: Even if your friends send them, unusual or suspicious links could be spam. These links could result in a virus for your computer or the loss of your private information.

Beware of what you share: Posting too much personal information could lead malicious hackers to the information they need to answer security questions. Keep your passwords strong and avoid using personal information.

Skip the negativity: In an emotional moment, it's easy to post something negative about someone, or about a group. But remember, once it's out on the internet, it's hard to take it back (and down).

Sources from: 5 Do's and Don'ts for College Students Using Social Media by Jeff Greer, Social Media Do's and Don'ts from Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas Attorney General, and Social Networking Do's and Don'ts from Columbia University Information Technology.

4 SIMPLE STEPS FOR GREAT PASSWORDS

Everyday the average person types over 8 passwords for one or more of their average 25 accounts. However, the average user only has 6.5 passwords shared across 3.9 accounts. With passwords being your first and best defense online why not take the effort to make them strong?

1. Letters

Do NOT use dictionary words. They make passwords much easier for hackers to crack.
Usecapitalizationpatterns: Firstletter, lastletteR,EvErYoThEr
Take out vowels in a memorable phrase: JustDoIt becomes Jstdt
Use the first letters of a longer memorable phrase:Everything I Do I Do for you becomes EiDiDfY

2. Numbers

Replace all o's with zeros: ZoOoOmBa becomes ZOOOOmBa
Replace i's or L's with ones: ILuvLamp becomes 11uv1amp
Have a favorite number? Add it to the end of your password: Jstdt281729 or EiDiDfY1908

3. Symbols

Replace all a's with the symbol @: ZOOOOmBabecomes ZOOOOmB@
Replace all vowels withanasterisk similar to anexpletive:Nittany4everbecomes N*tt*ny4*v*r
Have a favorite symbol? Add it to the end of your password: Jstdt281729! or EiDiDfY1908~

4. Account Specific

Once you're happy with your base password, personalize it in the exact same way for every site:

Jstdt281729!Netflix

N*tt*ny4*v*rFacebook

ZOOOOmB@Twitter

To check the strength of a new password check out

Information from MakeUseOfonHow To Create A Good Password That You Will Not Forget (2010)

SOCIAL MEDIA: PERSONAL VS. PROFESSIONAL

The internet is the #1 method for college students to share their personal and professional brand and students are expressing themselves and putting more information online than ever before!However, many don't see the connections between the two sides.

This section lists best practices for effectively managing your personal and professional side as you enter college!

FACEBOOK

  • Your language matters. The expletives you use, the manner you talk to others, and the content you post says something about you.
  • Your first defense is monitoring the content you post, but for additional security, check out your privacy settings.
  • Ifyoudon'twantgrandma to see it, you shouldn't post it.
  • Create a Facebook page that you think your employer would want to see.

TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

  • Just like with Facebook, your first line of defense is maintaining quality and appropriate content. Make sure you would be okay with your aunt/ grandma/uncle/grandfather seeing your profile picture, tweets, picturesor followers.
  • Consider making your account private to stop unknown and unwanted visitors.
  • Your followers and who you follow say a lot about you! Make sure you keep these lists pruned and perfect!

LINKED IN

  • A LinkedIn profile with an appropriate profile picture can get up to 14x more views than one without.
  • For even more tips, click on this link to really expand your LinkedIn presence!
  • Don't have a lot of work experience, that's okay! Beef up your volunteer experience, include all part-time or internship positions and add in any honors, awards, skills or languages!
  • LinkedIn is more than just the "employer Facebook” – it’s one of the first things that a grad school, employer, or colleague will see and acts like a resume that never sleeps.

In a survey when asked about certain online content, recruiters reacted in this way:

Percentage who reacted NEGATIVELY to

  • 75% – Reference to marijuana use
  • 72% – Spelling/grammatical errors
  • 54% – Photos of alcohol consumption
  • 25% – Selfies

Percentage who reacted POSITIVELY to

  • 76% – Participation in local groups
  • 59% – Look and appeal of profile

96%: Percentage of employers that use social media as a tool to vet and attract potential employees.

Recruiters are using social media and they reported that…

  • 75% used Facebook to look for potential employees
  • 55% used Linked In to look for potential employees
  • 47% used Twitter to look for potential employees
  • 13% used Instagram to look for potential employees
  • 3% used Snapchat to look for potential employees

Information from LinkedIn Pulse on LinkedIn Tips for Students and New Grads(2015) and Jobvite on the 2015 Social Recruiting Survey (2015)

IDENTITY THEFT

WHAT IS IT?

When someone uses your personal information without your permission.
This can include your name, address, credit cards, social security numbers, and other information you wouldn't want people to know.

HOW DO THEY DO IT?

Identity thieves steal your information when your accounts are not secure.
This could be because of a poor password, improper security settings, or using an unprotected server or computer.

HOW CAN I KEEP INFORMATION SAFE?

Use a secure password.
Do not share your password or pin numbers with other people.
Keep private information in a secure place.
Do not use your birthday, social security number, or phone number when creating passwords.

EMAIL SAFETY

Do not click on suspicious links – this is how many hackers gain information.
Remember that email is not always the most safe form of communication, so be selective of what you do share through email.
Check attachments before opening.
Use secure messaging when available.
Update your email settings to be secure as possible.

Source: TD Bank Online Security Tips

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Social media sites are collecting information about us when we use these platforms. Here are some facts about sites you might use!

TARGETED ADS

Social media sites will often sell user information to third party companies to help create targeted marketing. For example, Facebook uses 98 personal data points to influence the ads you see when you’re on Facebook.

VISIBILITY

Instagram and others talk about “visibility” in their privacy settings. You should decide if you want public or private accounts and who you’ll allow to follow your content.

INFO GATHERED

According to Snapchat’s privacy policy, they get information from 3 places: information you give them (username & email), info when you use Snapchat (phone type, location, filters applied, & usage), and info from third parties (when you connect your address book). This is typical for other social media sites.

REVIEW PRIVACY POLICY

Especially when using Facebook or Gmail to link accounts, it’s important for you to know what information is being shared between the two sites. For a while, Pokemon Go had FULL access to your Gmail and Google Drive because you agreed to those conditions.

DIGITAL IDENTITY

In Twitter’s privacy settings, they say “You are what you tweet!” Make sure the things you post on any social media site represent you!

Take action! Check out the privacy settings for your favorite social media platform and see what information you’re sharing with the world!