

It also ranked as the third ranked app by teenagers in 2020. Instagram is most popular with teenagers, and statistics show that more than half of the global Instagram population is under 34 years of age. For example, keep their accounts private, never over-share and follow their account with your own profile so you can help guide them.” “It’s much better to allow your child access when age appropriate and help them approach Instagram and the Internet in general under guidance. Blocking is an option but be aware your child may find other means of communicating online,” Gaffney recommends. “It’s very tough to deny children access to tools that are popular with their peers. When using Instagram, it’s best practice to only let people you know see and interact with your account, and you should always avoid clicking on links that are sent by someone you don’t know. “They will sometimes just want you to like or follow their content as it makes the fake accounts look more authentic.”
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“What they want is for users to click on links that download malicious software to their device that harvests personal details which is used in identity theft.

By building networks that have many followers (generally all fake accounts), they can appear to be a trusted source,” Gaffney says.

“Hackers do target Instagram and it’s usually done en masse in an automated way, such as sending unsolicited links to offers and products. This also shows how sharing personal information can be dangerous online. “The more information a hacker has about you, the better equipped they are to craft a targeted attack, and therefore users of social media platforms, such as Instagram, are prime targets for cybercriminals.” “While you may believe that sharing photos on Instagram is risk-free, the information you share on any online entity – known as your digital footprint – can provide valuable details for hackers and needs to be carefully considered before it’s posted,” Demetriades goes on to say.
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This means that people you don’t know are less likely to know where you live or how to contact you outside of the app. It’s suggested that you don’t upload any identifying information to Instagram, such as your address, mobile number, or any financial information. “They ultimately provide hackers with personal data to use when crafting a scam and opportunity to impersonate your identity.” “Sharing photos of your personal life where details such as road name or address might be captured in the background, as well as photos containing other sensitive information, such as ID cards and bank cards, can also pose a serious risk,” says Antony Demetriades, vice president at McAfee. As the whole system works on building followers, some criminals will create automated fake accounts that follow each other to give the appearance that these are popular and therefore legitimate accounts.”įake accounts are an issue on Instagram, however, the app allows you to report accounts that you believe to be fake or dangerous. “There are also some threats that are unique to Instagram. A common one is phishing URLS that either steal users’ personal data or distribute malicious software that can infect their devices or steal their identities,” says Tom Gaffney, principal security expert at F-Secure. “The risks to users of Instagram are similar to those we all face. Now, there are around one billion active users on Instagram, making it one of the most popular social media sites worldwide. In 2012, the app was purchased by Facebook, which only furthered its growth in all demographics. Instagram is an image-based social media network that appeared in 2010 and has done nothing but grow in the last 11 years. We spoke to some experts on security and social media so you know how you stay safe on Instagram, and what the threats actually are.

With so many social media sites to choose from, here is some expert advice on how to stay safe while using Instagram.
