RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Many parents are excited to share their kids’ back-to-school photos on social media.
But it’s not as harmless as you may think.
With almost 60 percent of adults using passwords composed of birthdays or names — these cute, sweet, uplifting photos of your kids could leave them and your data at risk of predators and hackers.
“We live in a society where you have to be extremely cautious,” said Beckley Stratton Middle School Sixth-Grade English Language Arts Teacher Allison Shriver. “I have two sons and share their back-to-school photos, but I make sure to do a few things to keep them safe: I do not post the name of their school. Think of how many people can access that.”
Shriver also ensures that she does not use her kids’ first names or initials in any of her passwords.
“I use like a dog I had 20 years ago as something nobody would guess, but I cannot forget,” the English language arts teacher said. “I see a lot of really adorable back-to-school photos parents post with the kids holding big signs, and it’s got their age, their birthday, what they want to be when they grow up, and the name of their school. It’s too much information. I think it’s really dangerous.”
