FBI Pittsburgh warns social media trends can lead to cybercrimes
Sharing vintage senior photos on Facebook while schools grapple with postponing or canceling graduation may seem harmless, but the FBI’s Pittsburgh office is warning that it could create an opening for cybercriminals.
“It’s very hard for a lot of us to be at home. A lot of us turn to social media. People are being asked to reveal pretty personal information,” said Eugene Kowel, FBI Pittsburgh’s acting special agent in charge.
When people participate in social media trends, such as sharing high school photos, they may include the names of their schools or the years they graduated.
Other trends have asked users to name the street they grew up on, or to tag their best friend or mother.
These bits of information are often used as answers to security questions to log into accounts or change the passwords.
“We just encourage people to be vigilant to the information they’re sharing. The audience may be wider than what they intend. A criminal actor can piece together information,” Kowel said.
FBI Pittsburgh recommends that people use two-factor authentication for any online accounts. In addition to a password, you can also require the input of a randomly generated number than can be received through text or email. Fingerprints and facial recognition can also be used as another form of authentication.
“All of that is moot if you provided all the answers to your security questions online,” Kowel said.
Kowel said many social media trends likely are not started with malicious intent, but they will be exploited.
“We also caution that once information is shared, it can last forever among criminal elements. It is traded, sold, bought on criminal marketplaces,” Kowel said.
Kowel also warns that the information could be used for crimes several years down the road.
As a further precaution, Kowel said people should check their privacy settings on their social media accounts, and also do research into where trends originate.
There is also one other, simple solution.
“Don’t participate,” Kowel said. “That’s always the easiest way to avoid it.”