IT Security Tip #8: Its never OK to lie, except maybe for this…
Under no other circumstance would I ever, ever tell you or anyone to lie. But this is a slight twist to help protect you from being manipulated online by a tactic known as Social Engineering. This is one case where I think we both can find deviating from the truth agreeable.
Social engineering is big business. What is Social Engineering? One take on it is someone figuring out who “you really are” and then using that information to manipulate you in some way online. And online is as just real as your “real life” ever has been.
Most people list password challenge and identity verification info publicly, or at least freely, on their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages without giving it a second thought. A Maiden name? Favorite pet? High school you attended? Town you grew up in? First car? And So On. Throwback Thursday is a social engineers dream! They love this stuff.
Here’s where the twisting of the truth can be the best idea for you, though. Whenever you sign up for a new service and it asks you to answer questions only you can answer, consider always giving false information for these identity verifications, such as those things just mentioned: Maiden name, favorite pet, high school, etc.
Keep the answer file off-line or at least in a format thats not easily guessed. LastPass, as I’ve mentioned often, is a great tool for keeping up with this type of thing. LastPass Secure Notes is the feature perfectly suited for keeping up with this alter ego misinformation plan.
And lastly, remember, if its a handwritten list, you can still take a photo of it so don’t leave paper lying around with this type of info on it!
