Protecting Your Teen: Why You Need to Think Beyond Social Media Photos

Why? Because most teenagers aren’t checking their credit reports, and stolen data can go unnoticed for years. Not only that, but many teens have unused social security numbers, which means they can be paired with any name and birthdate. That’s one of the reasons a Carnegie Mellon study found that children under 18 are 51 times more likely to be victims of identity theft. And teens are also more likely to face social media dangers, thanks to their strong online presence.

The 2018 End-of-Year Data Breach Report published by the Identity Theft Resource Center found that over 1 million records were exposed last year from educational institutions, including many high schools. The report also cited stolen records from children’s hospitals across the country, including Arkansas, Philadelphia, Kansas and Missouri.

Teenagers are also more likely to reveal the personal information criminals need to fetch top dollar on the black market. According to new research from ID Experts, 89% of Generation Z (18-21) say they believe teenagers are at risk when it comes to their security on social media. Any piece of data is worth much more when paired with additional information. A stolen credit card, for example, is only worth $1 on the black market. But paired with an address, it sells for $5. With an email address on top of that, it sells for $25.

Often, hackers turn to social media to gain this kind of information, and teens frequently share much more than adults. Let’s say a hacker is in possession of a stolen credit card number. While he may not be able to determine that person’s address from his or her own social media account, if the card belongs to a parent, that parent’s Facebook account might point the hacker to a child’s account, which could reveal a hometown, address and more.

According to a study conducted by the National Cyber Security Alliance, 4 out of 5 teens have their own smartphones, making it easy for them to access social media at any time. And over half have an account their parents are unaware of. Teenagers are also likely to reuse the same passwords for different sites.

Additionally, social media can expose your teen to cyberbullying. Over half of teens have been bullied online, according to the i-SAFE foundation. In fact, social media can make them a target for predators and unwanted sexual solicitation. One in nine teens receive unwanted online solicitations. Data brokers also target teens’ social media pages to collect information about them to sell to companies for ad purposes.

Here are some of the ways you can protect your teen from identity theft:

1. Get a copy of your teen’s credit report and sign him or her up for an identity monitoring service. You will be notified of any suspicious activity, inquiries or changes to their credit. It’s also possible to freeze your child’s credit.
2. Know who has access to your teen’s data. If it’s a school or doctor’s office, ask how they are protecting that data. Doctors shouldn’t necessarily need your child’s social security number. Schools are allowed to disclose directory information like a child’s address and telephone number, but you can request to opt-out.
3. Make sure your teen’s devices are password- and pin-protected. The same goes for their accounts. Make sure they are using a different password for every site, and that the passwords are secure. Install a find-my-device app on all their devices, so you can make sure they aren’t in the wrong hands if they are lost. Make sure anti-virus software is up-to-date.
4. Talk to your teen about security. Teens are aware of online security risks. 41 percent say they are very concerned that someone will access their accounts without permission. But 62 percent believe it is their responsibility to keep themselves safe online, while only 8 percent of parents believe this. Discuss what kind of information makes them vulnerable to hackers.
5. Monitor your own privacy settings and the information you post about your teenager on social media. Especially avoid sharing your child’s date of birth, full name or email address. New privacy protection tools like SocialSentry scan social media platforms for digital threats, exposed personal information and malicious links to make deleting problematic content and protecting your family’s privacy simple.

Most importantly, parents should be letting their teens participate in the identity protection process. Explain what the information on credit reports and identity monitoring sites means, so they know how to protect themselves when the time comes.

Thomas F. Kelly is president and CEO of IDX, a Portland, Oregon-based provider of data breach and identity protection services, such as IDX Identity. He is a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and an expert in cyber security technologies.