In our last synchronous class session, we spend a lot of time discussing Internet Privacy. With increased use of social networking sites and web 2.0 tools, we are sharing more of ourselves online everyday. How can we protect ourselves from having our identity stolen or accounts hacked?

Some of the things brought up from the discussion are:

1. Minimize sharing personal information on social networking sites.
   • Be sure to review privacy settings on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and LinkedIn accounts. How much do you want people to know about you?
2. Make sure to use “https” for a more secured web interactions (i.e., online banking or even to check e-mail)
   • Along the same line, do not use a public WiFi hotspot for sensitive transactions.
3. Consider using a password management system like LastPass, KeePass, or 1Password.
   • Here’s a review of several tools by LifeHacker
4. If you are Google user, use a 2-step verification method to protect your account.
   • More info about the 2-step verification method by Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers.
   • If you have a smart phone, consider downloading Google Authenticator for added security.

These were all great tips. I have been practicing most of these already. I have been an avid user of LastPass and Google’s 2-step verification method for a while. They were fairly easy to set up and so far so good.

However, in the past I tend to share a lot about myself on Facebook since it’s the easiest way I keep in touch with family and friends around the country and the world. I now try to limit how much info I post online.

One thing we didn’t touch on in class is also the importance of educating our students about Internet Privacy. I know that I can do a better job about it with my students. It should be an ongoing conversation that I introduce at the beginning of the course (when they first log into the course LMS) and continue throughout the year.