Twitter Safety

Basic Procautionaries (Click to slide down panel)

Be smart with passwords

Twitter accounts are hacked all the time. Once hackers are inside, they can gain easy access to personal information and the ability to post messages on behalf of the victimized user. To prevent an intrusion, passwords should be a mix of letters and numbers, at least six characters in length, and they should be never shared with others. Consider getting a password manager to not only store passwords and personal data in a secure, encrypted database but to also help generate random, strong passwords.

Don't share personal information

There could be anyone lurking behind any given social media profile. A hacker. An identity thief. A predator. For this reason, kids should be instructed to never share any personal information that could potentially reveal their identity or location when interacting on Twitter. This goes for profile information as well as private photos and videos.

Tweet Wisely

A seemingly harmless tweet can inflict a lot of damage when it insults someone or puts someone in danger. This is often the case even when the message is later deleted. Parents need to help their children understand the power of these messages and the importance of thinking before tapping that "Tweet" button.

Dont befriend strangers

Social media offers an exciting way to connect with new people, but it is also a haven for creeps looking to manipulate the unknowing behind the mask of anonymity. Parents would be wise to enforce a policy that restricts their children to only following and communicating with people they know. This tip not only ensures Internet safety for kids, but protection offline as well.

Approach links with caution

Tweets not only contain punchy words of wisdom, but links to images, videos, and other content. Because Twitter members often use link-shortening tools to maximize character usage, the source of these links can be difficult to identify. Bottom line — links could lead users to rogue sites harboring malware, phishing scams and other security threats, so they should be approached with extreme caution.