The first area you should think about is your internet footprint. How easy is it for someone to find out information about you? Recently someone called my spouse because they were moving into our ward and needed some help moving. Using just this guy's name, and the fact that he had an "801" area code phone, I found him, some of his Army buddies, found out where he did his training, what his wife's name is, saw pictures of his family, and I know his wife is pregnant. Blogs are a wonderful way to share information with family and friends especially when you are stationed far from home, or your spouse is deployed. But they are also a great way for people who would do you harm (and not just terrorist, but con artists, identity thieves, child molesters, you name it) to find out tons of information about you. That does not mean you have to stop blogging, just make your blog private or use only initials and don't say where you are. Same thing with social networking sites. They can be a great way to keep in touch, but think about ways you can limit you and your family's exposure. For work I have often been tasked with finding contact information for different people. I am always amazed at how easy it is with little more than a name to find the person and all sorts of information about them. So think about limiting your family's internet footprint. Try googling your names and see what pops up. And take steps to cut out some of that exposure.
My other area of concern is don't relax just because you live on base or are stationed in a small town. We currently live on post and the family next to us never locks their doors. The car doors are always unlocked. This might just be some big city paranoia coming out, but lock your doors. Creepy people can get on base and more and more housing areas are becoming unrestricted, so anyone can come on. I recently heard of a teenage girl's party being held at a military housing community center was crashed by a number of local gang members who read about the party on a social networking site. The housing area was open and the gang members walked on unrestricted until they got in a fight and shots were fired.
So don't be scared, be smart. Review your family's footprint. And don't stop being cautious, just because you live on post.
2 comments:
I know lots of people who take their blogs private just before a deployment happens, then unblock it afterwards, we've almost always had ours private - I like knowing who is looking into my family :) It's amazing how easy it is to get into something if you really want to - but precautions are better than nothing.
wow good ideas. I hadn't thought about a few. thanks!
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