Rationale:
There is nothing wrong with having a personal social media account, but risk points do need to be assigned as your page (and your posts) now make you discoverable to millions of digital citizens...some of whom are less than altruistic.  When you are now visible to millions of people - as opposed to just a few people in your school or community -you do inherit some risk from that vast increase in visibility. 

But this does not mean we cannot have a social webpage!  After all, there are risks associated with many things we do every day, like driving, using a stove, even taking a bath. 

What it boils down to is, how responsible are we being with our social media accounts?  Are we drawing positive or negative attention to ourselves?  If we use a tool positively, we usually get positive results.  HOWEVER, if we abuse that tool, often times we will face harsh consequences!

Rationale:
It is never a good idea to post a home phone or cell phone number on an unsecure area of the World Wide Web as it is an entry way for anyone - including criminals and stalkers - to gain greater access and awareness into your home or personal location through phone number trace services and GPS tracking services.

If your friends and family know your phone number, why must the rest of the World Wide Web? 

Remember, there are millions of other internet users that you may not want having your phone number!

Rationale: Do You Remember Stranger Danger?
Would you give this information to a stranger at the mall?
It is never a good idea to post a home address on an unsecured area of the World Wide Web as it is an entry way for anyone – including criminals and stalkers - to gain greater access and awareness into your home location through popular (free) platforms like Google Maps.
If your friends and family know your home address, why must the rest of the World Wide Web? 
Remember, there are millions of other internet users that you may not want to have your home address!

Rationale:

Once again, you would never give this information to a stranger at the local park right?  So why provide it to the global park?

It is never a good idea to post a school or work address on an unsecure area of the World Wide Web, especially if the page you are posting this information on has your real name, pictures of you, and other identifiable information as it is an entry way for anyone – including criminals and stalkers - to gain greater access and awareness into your daily location and routines through popular (free) platforms like Google Maps.

If your friends and family know your school or work address, why must the rest of the World Wide Web? 

Remember, there are millions of other internet users that you may not want having your school or work address!

Rationale:

Would you take out an ad in your local paper or on television to tell people that you are headed on vacation or a business trip?

Then why post it on a global publication?

We incur risks when we “check in” or post future status updates on a global public platform as we are giving a crystal ball into our future for millions of people!

Just because we can, does not always mean we should!

Rationale:

The delete button should really be called, the "hide" button, because that is all it typically does. Never discard an intact hard drive or media card thinking what you deleted is really 100% gone.

Pressing "Delete" or counting on a company to automatiaclly delete content (i.e. Snapchat) does not make your file evaporate, disintegrate, or disappear.  Far too many digital citizens believe that delete means "gone" when it just means, hidden.

There are many ways to recover or “undelete” deleted files off computers, cell phones, memory cards, etc.  Now, isn’t this AWESOME if you accidentally deleted a file, picture, or song?  You can get it right back! 

HOWEVER, if we are abusing technology, and assume we can simply delete our irresponsibility, the same recovery opportunity we just thought was AWESOME - can become an issue!  Especially if we lose our device!  

Recovery programs are designed to HELP us – to make sure we never have to lose our digital data.

Digital = Permanence.  It is important we keep this in mind when we create anything digital – the permanence of what we created is supposed to be a benefit - so what awesomeness will you create with this power?

Rationale:

It is vital that your computers and mobile devices have a reputable security program(s) installed. Not securing your computer is like leaving your home unlocked with your most private information and valuables sitting in the front window.

Rationale:

Updating and running security programs daily reduces the risk of long term malware infection leading to exploitation and / or identity theft.  The longer you DON’T run your (up to date) antivirus and anti-spyware programs, the longer a malicious program could exist on your system.

The longer a virus or spyware program is on your computer or mobile device, the higher your chance of becoming a victim of cybercrime(s).

Here are a few programs you can review: http://www.iroc2.org/151.html

Rationale:

An individual’s lack of Digital Consciousness typically means that they subscribe to the illusion that there is Absolute privacy, anonymity, and invincibility in a digital world.  It is frightening to think that there are millions of people operating digital tools and technologies with these delusions.  

If we can be 100% anonymous, then so could every criminal online – large and small.  In other words, we would be faced with complete digital anarchy because everyone would get away with everything – and that is simply not reality.

Rationale:

Understand that “passwords” (on unsecured social web sites) are a joke to many hackers and criminals. There have actually been applications available that help even the most novice citizen hack accounts.

Passwords provide us with the illusion of privacy, of protection, but at the end of the day, our passwords can literally be brushed aside like a curtain.  Passwords are not the “steel doors” many believe they are.  Think about it like this:  Why would there even be a word called “hacking” if passwords were so secure? 

How could anyone “hack” an account if passwords were impenetrable?  

If we couldn’t illegally access an account, a page, a password, something that is supposed to be “private,” then we would never need a reason to label the act of illegally accessing an account, with the word “hacking”, right?

The truth of the matter is that hacking exists because the action of hacking is very possible.  It occurs much more often than most people want to realize.  With this in mind, never place information on an unsecure website thinking that a password is going to keep everyone out.

The previous information was extrapolated from the book, “Public and Permanent” with permission from Richard Guerry.

Rationale:
The second you snap a digital photo or shoot a digital video of yourself that you would not show your family or enemy, is the second you have created a file that can be used against you to blackmail you, get you in trouble with school, work, family, or worse. 

Further, there are millions of ways the file you created could get out into the public, meaning not only could your family see it, but so could the rest of the world - not to mention, future generations of your family.

There is an entire black market dedicated to finding and exploiting this type of irresponsibility!

Rationale:
Webcams are amazing tools, but that does mean we should do things with them we would not do without them!

Did you know that there is an entire black market dedicated to capturing irresponsibility of digital citizens who do and say things in front of their webcams they would not show the world?

There are networks of (often illegal) websites and networks that do nothing more than collect and use stolen "private" webcam content for their sites.  Typically, they steal this content by watching people do and say things in front of their digital webcam that could get them into trouble, and then the criminal will record this behavior using various screen recording software programs.

Rationale:
This is very risky as "private" pictures that you would not show family or an enemy would now be in the hands of someone else.  Once someone else is in control of content that could get you into trouble, your risk factors are very high.

Let’s assume you did not share this “private content” on the World Wide Web which you share with billions of people - but only with a friend or significant other.  Even if your trust the individual you shared your “private” content with, how do you know they will not lose their device, have their device stolen, or hacked?  What if they lend their phone or computer to someone (a stranger to you) and that third party found what you wanted your friend to keep private?

If you ask them to delete your content, how would you know if they really deleted it or that they did not make copies on other devices?

There are a myriad of ways the content could get out beyond the person you shared it with, both intentionally and accidentally.  And what will you do if this content winds up online or falls into the hands of a criminal?

·Learn About Sextortion
·Learn About Revenge Porn

Rationale:
Cyber Bullies, or people that practice cyber cruelty with threats, derogatory remarks, etc., should never assume any sort of privacy or anonymity when harassing someone via digital technology.  A “bully” does not warrant any privacy or protection based on the malicious actions they are employing and if a “bully” is investigated they will be found, just as we would want someone who was being cruel or threatening to us to get caught, or a terrorist to be found should they be plotting against our country.

To their family and friends, a cyber-bully may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but to a billion-other people, a bully looks like a jerk.  When we harass others over a global public platform known as the World Wide Web, we do not just “bully” the victim, we bully the world, and we never know who will take exception to our remarks. We never know when our victim’s friend or relative could turn out to be the next Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (the shooters behind Columbine) or the next Charles Manson or Ted Bundy (serial killers).  Hurtful remarks may just move bullies to the head of a “kill list” ─ and it is not that hard to find anyone through the Internet.

It is never the victim of bullying that will look bad to the public, a school, an employer, their family and friends, even future generations of their family, it is the BULLY, that stand to ruin their own reputation and legacy, because it is the BULLY, that is creating a digital footprint and legacy of hate!

The previous information was extrapolated from the book, “Public and Permanent” with permission from Richard Guerry.