A recent study commissioned by Yale University found that many adults are unaware of the risk they potentially put their home property under when they share their location while on holiday or not at home. A tenth of the people surveyed admitted they have in the past shared a post regarding a holiday countdown revealing exactly how long until their home would be unattended. A fifth said they felt they had at some point put themselves at risk and 10 per cent saying they had become victim of robbery or a crime due to what they posted online.

The traditional way of thinking about home security is now expanding since our social media profiles are somewhat a reflection of our real physical life, with many people posting regular updates, especially big events such as a much anticipated trip abroad. Our privacy settings online and how and what we share should be taken into consideration, with opportunist thieves easily browsing public profiles to work out when, and for how long, people will likely be away.

Sharing travels and big events with friends and family online is a good thing but it can come at a risk if someone takes advantage of you. It is important to check and regularly manage your privacy settings to be aware who can view your profile and posts, especially on Facebook — being that it is the largest social media platform and generally where people share the most detail.

With more crime beginning from online resources, it’s important to check your privacy settings on all public platforms and to be diligent about protecting your security online. Becoming more careful with your online security can only help secure yourself better in the physical world as well.

If you are interested in learning more about online security or would like to discuss our security software service, please be in touch with us at, [email protected].