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. Some time ago I have been pretty open on my Facebook page, although there is a stark difference between being open and being stupid. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself and your identity.

1. Keep Private Info Secret
People Everyone doesn’t need to know your individual information. Never put in writing your social security number, address, and phone number out there. Only give it to people you know personally. Also, be selective about the people you add. You never know who may turn out to be a hacker, stalker, or someone trying to pinch your identity. Also consider using a user name that isn’t your actual name. And don’t tweet where you are because that makes you easy to follow or even break into your house.

2. Beware of Strangers
Although this might seem a little elementary, there’s nothing wrong with a review course. Some people that might seem like friends could actually be spammers that just want to hijack your account. Or they may just want to get traffic to their links. If you don’t know them, and your friends don’t know who they are, don’t add them.

3. Odd Behavior
If friends on social sites seem to be acting odd, don’t receive 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 “muenster 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.

4. Shortened URLs
Some 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 handy, 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. Be aware of your Secrecy Options
All of these social media tools allow you to adjust your security settings to a specific point. Make sure that you assess and alter them to the highest privacy setting they allow. However, don’t set the settings so great that the tools don’t work appropriately. Many of these settings are not the default so make sure that you modify them so some random visitor can’t find your info through the search engine. If you dislike or are anxious about some of the privacy settings on the site, then don’t use it. Look for a different site that meets your privacy protection standards. Regularly examine and improve your browser privacy settings.

Social sites can be awesome. You can reconnect with old friends, improve 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 and sound.

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 degrees, online education, and the college experience.