Welcome to the social media era. Everyone has at least one platform, typically more. Social media profiles are the digital embodiment of who you are and how you present yourself to the world. Whether you're an avid Facebook poster, living your best life on Instagram or going on a rant on Twitter, everyone needs to be up to date on social media security. To help combat social media threats, here are five tips to stay safe and secure online:

1. Privacy settings are your best friend  
   Not having privacy settings on your social media accounts opens every piece of your life to the world. With privacy settings securely in place, you control who can see what on your platform. But there is still some information that needs to stay off social media. Never share any of your personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers, home or work address.

2. The Internet is permanent
   Take the phrase "screenshots never die" to heart. Always be conscious of what you are posting. Even if it's been posted for 10 seconds and then deleted, that piece of content lives on in a server halfway across the world or in someone's iCloud when they screenshot your post. Before you post, ask yourself if you would feel comfortable showing a future employer this post? How about your family?  

3. Don't enable auto-login 
   Always say no to clicking the "keep me logged in" button. If someone were to gain access to your device, this gives them easy access to your private information, applications and platforms. And never use your social media logins for third-party systems. Remember those Facebook posts that turned you into your celebrity doppelganger? Just say no! 

4. Not everyone is your friend  
   Anyone can create an account, upload photos from Google and send out friend requests. Never feel bad for declining a friend request. You hold the power on whom you allow into your virtual world.  

5. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.  
   Hackers and scammers favor social media due to people’s trust and therefore likelihood to click on a link from someone with whom you have something in common. If someone sends you a direct message asking for your bank routing number or another piece of personal information, report it! These are attempts to gain your trust or pique your interest in order to steal personal information. Before you click on a link or respond to a message, make sure it is trusted.  

Bonus Tip: Always double-check the meaning behind a hashtag. If you want to know how #FSUTech or any other hashtag has been used, click on it and see every post tied to that specific tag.